


Serendipity

by Louismyqueeny



Category: One Direction (Band)
Genre: Alpha Harry, Alpha Liam Payne, Alpha Zayn Malik, Alpha/Beta/Omega Dynamics, Eventual Romance, F/F, F/M, Fluff and Angst, Gay Sex, Harry is 25, Louis is Interior designer, M/M, Omega Louis, Omega Niall, Omega Sophia Smith, Poor alpha Harry, Smut, Will Add More, louis is 20, rich omega Louis
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-07-04
Updated: 2021-02-06
Packaged: 2021-03-05 00:40:09
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 11
Words: 26,589
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/25055575
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Louismyqueeny/pseuds/Louismyqueeny
Summary: This is not the classic "Rich Alpha mates Poor Omega". It is the reverse.Louis is a twenty-year-old Omega with his life organised.He is celebrated because of his father's name.But that doesn't stop him from working hard for everything he receives.Harry, on the other hand, is a twenty-five-year-old Alpha, who is perpetually struggling with work and life.His sole possession is his motorbike.The Alpha keeps refusing the call of the bond he has with his soulmate.Why, though?
Relationships: Harry Styles/Louis Tomlinson
Comments: 92
Kudos: 280





	1. Tired

“Lou, come on, please?” Niall ran after his friend, knowing well that he was being ignored.

“Fionn, we have got the fabrics, and the accessories left, no?” Louis asked and took some fast steps to his desk.

Fionn, Niall and Liam were members of his project team and he, as a project manager, had far more to do, not just listen to the nonsense of his best friend.

“Yes, Louis. I also have the lightning, but it’s just the routine double-check.” Fionn answered with his head in the papers.

“Louis...” Niall whined and went to sit on top of his friend’s table.

“Can you please stop it, Niall? My head is killing me.” Louis grumbled and picked out the folder that held all the construction fees, rummaging through the papers inside it. Finding what he needed, he seized his favourite highlighter pen and went through the page to find the paragraph he had to keep in mind for later when he met his client.

“Louis, for God’s sake, take a breath. We are not going to die tomorrow.” Niall took the highlighter and purposefully threw it across the room at Fionn’s head.

“Ouch, Niall.” The boy rubbed his head, but never looked away from his documents.

“I swear the bunch of you are crazy.” Niall dropped from the desk, and determinately grabbed Louis’ arm, pulling him from his chair. “It’s lunchtime. Get up, both of you. We are going to grab a bite, and I don’t want to hear another word.”

Louis groaned while Fionn hadn’t even heard what the Omega had said, still furiously writing down.

“Fionn, is your fine ass glued on that chair?”

“Uh, what?” The beta looked up, confused.

“Come on Fionn, we are told to go eat something.” Louis took his hand, forcing him up too.

He knew how irritating it was when you had so much to do, and the minute you got interrupted, the work wouldn’t start the same again, but he was doing it, because that would shut Niall’s mouth up.

Walking through the fancy lobby of the building, Louis looked like a walking dream. Clad in the most expensive and pristine suits, as per usual, he gave the idea of a model, not an interior designer.

Except for his looks and power, what surprised people was his second gender. An Omega.

One that was used to turning heads and being talked about since day one.

An Omega that, although the company was owned by his father, did everything to deserve every single coin he earned. He worked hard for being ‘just and Omega’ and everyone was aware of that.

What his colleagues appreciated about him was the relationship he had created with them. They were not afraid when he walked in or if they cursed silently at one annoying client because inside that building; he was not his father’s son. He was just their colleague, their friend.

*******

They were sitting at that fancy restaurant that Niall loved so much, but Louis despised. Everyone there looked ready to judge, and the staff had an attitude. They made it hard for the Omega to leave a nice tip when he paid for the meal.

“... What about Liam, then?” Fionn asked with his mouth full of pasta.

“Well, I called him earlier, and his part of the project is almost done. Today he has a one-hour meeting with Mrs Atkinson, and we shall have a meeting tomorrow morning.” Louis said before taking a large sip of his iced tea.

“Lads, like, you can’t even imagine how much I want this project over. Her complains make me lose my cool, I swear.” Niall grumbled.

“I can imagine.” Fionn chucked, making both Omegas stare at him in shock.

Fionn has always been one of the most optimistic workers, always cheering and patting shoulders. He was that one colleague Louis always called first when things went south, and for him to say that he was also annoyed at one client was something new to hear.

“What?” The beta laughed, “She is so irritating, I can’t stand her, to be honest.”

“Well, this surprised me,” Niall spoke with his mouth full of lasagne.

“Bon appétit, busy bees.” It was Aaron who neared their table with one of his friends in tow.

“Hello, baby.” Niall jumped off his chair and threw his hands around his Alpha’s neck, placing kisses all over his face.

“Love, we are in a public place.” The man laughed and kissed the Omega’s forehead in return. “Hey, boys.” He greeted the other two.

“Hey there, Aaron.” Louis smiled at him. Fionn doing the same.

The boy standing by the Alpha’s side had his eyes glued on Louis the whole time, making the boy uncomfortable.

“Okay, then. If you will excuse us, we have a meeting lunch to attend. See you later, babes.” Aaron kissed his Omega’s cheek and walked to the other side of the room. The other Alpha winked at Louis and turned to go.

“I don’t like him,” Fionn mumbled when they were waiting for the waiter to return his card. “Kept looking at Louis as if he was a piece of meat.”

The Omega lowered his head, smiling. He loved his friends; they were always so protective of him.

“He is not a bad guy,” Said Niall, “He is just... stupid.”

They laughed, and Louis assured them that everything was okay.

*******

The next morning, Louis was not in a good mood.

Of course, he looked flawless, as always, but his mind and heart were a mess. He had had another of his ‘overthinking nights’ as his mind wouldn’t leave me alone.

He had tossed and turned until his back hurt from being forced to lay when all he had wanted to do was walk around, have a shower and maybe cry.

Instead, he prepared a cuppa and started reading “Becoming” by Michelle Obama; at 04:23 in the morning.

The meeting after meeting that day only made him feel worse. It was unusual for him to want to finish work as soon as possible and go home, but he wanted to. His team had also picked up on it, because they tried not to bother him, or ask him countless questions.

“Lou, let’s go for a drink after work. Us two, Fionn and Niall. Probably Emma’s group would like to join us...” Liam said; sitting at his desk with numberless pens, rulers and folders scattered all over the surface.

Just looking at it made Louis’ headache form quicker. “Sorry, Li, I don’t feel like going out today. I can’t wait to get home and sleep.” Louis grumbled.

“Come on, please, Louis,” Niall whined childishly.

“You can have fun guys...”

“But it’s Friday; then how is Fionn going home if you don’t come?” Fionn’s car was still at the service station, and Louis had happily been dropping him off, since they lived near each other. Of course, Fionn’s neighbourhood was not as nice as Louis’, he would never afford to live there.

“No, don’t feel pressured by me. I can call a taxi or have H... um, Zayn pick me up.”

Louis’ breath stuck in his throat at the slip of his friend’s tongue, and almost immediately, everyone started looking everywhere except for Louis’ face.

That was all he needed to make it all worst.

“I will come.” He mumbled. He didn’t want to keep thinking about it all night long again. Better put some alcohol in his system to fog the feelings.

*******

The club was packed. Judging from the suit and ties, most of the people were celebrating the Friday, after work, just like Louis and his friends.

Thankfully, they could wear whatever they felt like at work- probably because most of their day was spent outside of the office, interacting with either clients or contractors- so the jeans and blouse were a perfect choice for such a place.

Not much was said. Niall spent the night kissing and grinding against Aaron. Liam, Louis and Fionn hadn’t moved from the bar for 2 hours straight.

There are occasional attempts from Alphas and Betas to hit on Louis, or just to offer him a drink, but he was in his own world. The only protection being Fionn and Liam’s arms around his back whenever came closer than necessary.

He needed to drink his pain away, and his friends knew that. That being the reason why they went without their mates.

Two more hours and all three of them were completely drunk.

Louis pure Omega scent was mixed with fifty other ones from whoever passed or crushed against him, and he couldn’t handle it anymore.

“I think it is time to head home now, Lou,” Liam said and Fionn nodded.

“Can’t drive.” Louis hiccuped. “Call a taxi?”

“It’s already waiting, come on.”

Niall and his Alpha let them know that they would stay a little longer, and the trio grabbed their jackets and made their way out. Just before they pushed the door open, Fionn took Louis’s hand to get his attention. “Hey, just don’t want to do this without you knowing...” Louis narrowed his eyebrows cutely, and the Beta chuckled, “Harry is outside; waiting for us. He will drop us off.”

_Nononono. Not Harry._

He had promised himself to never cross paths with him again.

With his soulmate. The soulmate who didn’t want him, who kept refusing their bond; making him feel stupid for falling and wanting someone who hadn’t even said one word to him. Ah, yes, except for ‘stay away from me’.

“Louis? Breathe, love. Deep breaths.” Liam started rubbing his back.

“Come on, I will call a taxi.” But just then, the door opened by someone who entered the club, and Louis took a glance at him.

Waiting for them outside, with his hands buried in his pockets and his hair ruffled, in all his glory stayed Harry Styles.

The man whose image had kept Louis up all night, whining and crying.

The Omega noticed the moment his smell hit the Alpha’s sense because he turned his head so fast in his direction. Louis wanted to smirk because no matter how hard the man tried to ignore him, a soulmate call was stronger than that.

Although, the moment, for the Alpha to turn his head away and act uninterested, came faster than he expected.

“I will call a taxi. You guys don’t let him wait.” Louis said and sober all of a sudden, he used the smallest of confidence left untouched and walked outside ready to make the call.


	2. Fruity Smell

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hello my loves,
> 
> I hope you are all doing amazing.  
> I hope you enjoyed the first chapter of 'Serendipity'. It is a bit different from what I have been writing, but I really do hope you enjoy it.
> 
> Please let me know, what you think of it.

“Louis, I will wait with you. Fionn, you can go with Harry, it’s okay.” Liam said, but Louis turned to him with a frown on his face.

“No, go home, Sophia must be waiting for you. You guys have been babysitting me all night...”

“Hey, stop it with this crap. I hate it when you act like that.” Liam said.

“Like what, Liam? Like I am a burden? A bother?”

“Yes, because you are not...” Liam was interrupted when Harry spoke a few steps away from them.

“I am not sure if I should wait for you to be over with the drama or just step in, but I have been waiting here for half an hour, and I am quite tired, me.”

The Alpha’s eyes were puffy and red. Louis felt bad for keeping him waiting, even why he didn’t know he was there.

“Go on, Fionn.” The Omega nodded to his friend, and then patted Liam’s back, “You too, big baby.”

Liam was about to speak, but he was interrupted again by Harry. “In the car. You first.” He was looking and talking to Louis, who couldn’t believe his eyes. What had happened? The big bad Alpha was talking to him.

Anyway, he didn’t want to send his heart wrong signals, so he just crossed his arms over his fancy shirt and shook his head. “I will be waiting for a taxi.”

“Have you called one?” The Alpha asked.

“No, I will do so now.”

“Well, you will be waiting a while, so in the car, you go.”

“Stop talking to me like that. Who do you think you are?” Louis growled and stared at the Alpha’s eyes.

Fionn and Liam knew better than to get in between the two soulmates. The two idiots didn’t understand that there was a bigger force working on their wolves; their idiocy be damned.

“I am sorry, your highness, for bruising your ego. I don’t care how offended you get; it is me who is trying to help you.”

“Help me how?” Louis growled way too loud for the conversation to be kept only in between the small group.

“Help you from getting yourself in trouble or by preventing anyone to hurt you in that state you are. Irresponsible, that's what you are.”

Louis took a step back. The Alpha hadn’t growled or anything, but he felt like he might.

Louis was not irresponsible. He got drunk because he was sure his friends would be with him the whole time. He worked hard every day and rarely enjoyed a night out. His nights were sleepless and nightmares hunted him.

He was not irresponsible.

“Get. In. The. Car.” Harry demanded, but his eyes were softer. Louis didn’t look up to notice that, though. He kept his head low and walked the short distance to the car; sitting in the backseat with Liam.

Fionn chitchatted with Harry about their day and work and some guy, Zayn, that Louis didn’t know.

All the Omega could do was stay there, at the back, with his head lowered and catching words here and there.

The car they were in was a small Toyota that had seen better days, but the boy didn’t mind it. He was born on money, used to brand new everything, yet none of that had never changed him.

“Lou, are you okay?” Liam whispered and took the boy’s hand in his; messaging the back of it.

You see, Liam has been Louis’ best friend for as long as he can remember. They knew everything about each other, and Liam was aware how much Louis’ Omega was suffering. He had confronted Harry countless times, but the Alpha was stubborn as a mule. He didn’t want Louis.

Louis.

The Omega that got followed everywhere by desperate Alphas. The same Omega that had the looks, the power and the most important, the heart.

It wouldn’t be that big of a deal if it was just a connection or attraction, but it was their soul calling for each other. And Harry’s reasons were shit.

“I’m fine, Li,” Louis answered, but he never moved his eyes from where he was staring at his jeans; not wanting to catch any glimpses of Harry from the rear-view mirror.

“Are you okay to be home alone tonight?” Liam asked, and Louis noticed how the duo at the front had stopped talking and probably had heard his friend ask.

Louis hated to let Harry know how broken he felt, how badly he was damaging him, but that night, he didn’t want to be alone. Other than that, if the Alpha dropped them all off, Louis would be the last stop and he didn’t want to torture himself further by being alone with the man.

“Actually, do you think Soph’ would mind if I came over?” He looked at Liam, whose eyes brightened immediately.

“When has Sophia ever minded your visits? To be honest, I am concerned she is ready to adopt you.” The Alpha hugged the boy, and they heard Fionn chuckle at Liam’s words.

“Just reminded me the moment I found out my mate is also in love with Louis.”

Louis genuinely laughed at that because he too remembered when Nova confessed her ‘love’ to Louis. It was just a joke though, but it had passed two years already and she still kept bringing Fionn and Louis lunch at work. Calling him the child of their small family.

Nova is a blessing.

“Yeah, sorry guys, cute Omegas like I happen to seduce other people’s mates.”

Louis’ nose twitched when the fresh smell of oranges overpowered his senses. He knew the smell; it was the same one that hunted him in his dreams.

He stared at Harry’s back and noticed how his shoulders were tensed, and that shouldn’t concern him; not at all. But it did. And he couldn’t help but think how maybe he had a rough day and lots of work to do and then they disturbed his relaxation that late at night.

Louis wanted to prepare him good food, wrap him in his softest of blankets and just cuddle with him until sleep came to them.

But he couldn’t.

Looking at the buildings passing by the window, the Omega felt his phone buzzing in his pocket.

He struggled to pull it out of the tight material of his jeans until he did and stared at the screen for a good five seconds.

“Who is it?” Liam asked when he saw his hesitation.

Louis didn’t answer. He just placed the device in between his thighs and continued staring out again.

The buzzing started again, and it was playing with his nerves.

“Hello?”

The person on the other side said something and Louis sighed. “What are you doing at my place at this hour?”

The other three in the car were not talking. Harry and Fionn acting as if they were not paying attention, while Liam had his ear pressed against the back of the phone.

“Listen, Elias, it is too late and I am not feeling good. Can we talk another time?”

Liam was making hand gestures, wanting for Louis to pass the phone, but the boy wouldn’t do it again. Liam was always the ‘bad guy’. Scaring people off of him. Elias, though, was not like them. He was James Tomlinson’s best client; a loyal one for many years. And he wanted Louis. That much was understandable from the way he acted and all the flowers and gifts. Louis never cared.

“I am not sick... Yes... Okay... Look, let’s not...” Louis was ready to cry. If there were not three other people and most importantly Harry, he would break down right then and there. Everything was becoming too much to handle in one day. Louis hated it.

He hung up.

“It was that piece of shit again, huh?” Liam growled.

Louis sighed and dropped his phone on his lap.

“Just, how can you stand him, Lou?” Spoke Fionn who had turned his body toward him.

“I can’t, Fionn.” Louis snapped but regretted it as soon as the words left his mouth. “Sorry.” He leaned a bit forward and touched his friend’s shoulder. Glancing at the mirror, he was captured by green eyes looking back at him. It was probably the second time he had really looked at Louis; not just a glance.

The scent made him close his eyes and took a deep breath. He needed that man so much. His Omega needed him so much.

“It’s okay, Lou. It’s just that, the constant bothering and appearances here and there are so annoying. I know how much you hate it.” Fionn said.

“Whatever. It is what it is.” Louis mumbled with his eyes still closed.


	3. First Step

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Guys,  
> Your girl got herself an amazing job.  
> Taking my time and energy, but hey, did I need the money 😩  
> Anyways, please enjoy this chapter. Sorry for any mistakes, it's written in a breath.  
> I am so excited for the next chapter.  
> Please let me know what you think of this one.
> 
> Lot's of love.  
> Stay safe xx

[Serendipity](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=juw2nFJmb2o) 🌺🌸

“Mate, have you gone crazy, or what?” Harry chuckled, leaning on his motorbike. It was Sunday, which meant that the three best friends had to spend it however they wanted.

Fionn, Zayn and Harry had the closest of friendships since they were babies.

Most of the Sundays it was only the three of them, but that exact Sunday, Quinn and Nova had decided to join their little group.

Quinn was sitting on Zayn’s lap, taking a drag off his cigarette and casually kissing up to his neck while Nova and Fionn sat next to them, at the bench they had stopped for a smoke while getting back from the beach.

Harry wasn’t sure how he had resisted the temptation to smoke in two days. He was trying to quit smoking, but it was impossible. Not when problems kept showing at his door on a daily basis.

They had been staying there for a while, just talking and enjoying the light breeze combing through their hair. A bunch of girls had passed them and seeing the only boy among the three, without an Omega by his side, they thought they would shamelessly flirt. But Harry may smoke on top of his motorbike, wear leather jackets and wear suede boots, but he is not the typical bad boy who accepts every offer.

Not to mention that his Alpha would let him take a step, as they already have a soulmate, no matter if Harry wanted him or not.

“Come on, man, stop being a baby.” Fionn threw a small seashell his way.

“Hey, now, those are mine. Spent hours collecting them.” Nova went to grab the blue seashell and place it back in the tote bag.

“Saying that I don’t want to go somewhere is not being a baby,” Harry grumbled and ruffled Nova’s short hair.

“Don’t touch me if you don’t go.” She slapped his hand away.

“All against me, then. I see.”

“Hazz, you never care about such things, why act like that now?”

“You too, Brutus?”

Zayn laughed and raised to go lean against his friend’s motorbike too. “Everything you are doing nowadays seems pointless to me. Like, what are you trying to prove?”

It has been years and the five of them had become really close friends, so Harry was not worried to open up to them. It was more the fact that he didn’t know what to say. How to explain what he felt when he couldn’t even find a way to explain it to himself.

“Zayn, let’s not start and destroy this amazing day we had, okay?”

“If you are worried about clothes, you will get something from mine.”

Fionn shook his head. “Offered already.”

“Louis will be expecting to see you when he notices us there.”

“First off, I don’t care, it’s not my problem. Second, he won’t. Isn’t he supposed to be the host? Sweet talk to all those rich assholes? Going home, now.”

Harry prepared to mount the motorbike, but Nova’s hand on his bicep kept him there.

“Don’t you dare, okay? You are my friend; have been for years. I love you, but don’t you dare. You have been hurting him enough, already.”

“Babe!” Fionn’s voice held a warning, but Nova kept her eyes on Harry’s face until he moved away from the motor and spoke.

“Ah, have I been hurting him?” Harry’s voice deepened, and for a moment he forgot who he was speaking to. His friend; an Omega. “Have I been hurting him, No? What about the beast I have to keep taming every night? What about the Alpha inside of me who wakes up howling and hurting? What about the unexpected ruts, headaches- heartaches? What about me, huh?”

“Well, dear friend of mine, let me tell you the same thing over and over again. It is your own fault. You look miserable because you chose to be. Your Alpha keeps clawing and howling because you decided to cage it. You are causing this to both of you.”

Zayn sighed, staring at his friends.

Quinn walked to her friends, putting a delicate hand on Nova’s neck, stroking there lightly. Her pink hair looked darker, being late afternoon, sunset catching every passerby’s attention; expect for them.

“Hey, you two are repeating the same things at this point. Let him be, babe.” Quinn’s fingers continued massaging Nova’s neck lightly.

“But don’t you guys understand?” the Omega turned to look at the others who were smoking on the bench. “Zayn? Like this is not healthy? If Fionn ignored my Omega, I would have died already; and I am not being dramatic here. Know the damage that causes, both to the Omega and Alpha. All this for nothing.”

Harr had already mounted his motorbike and was rolling the helmet in his hands. The coward part of him shouting to him to go home already. But “It’s not for nothing,” he mumbled, instead.

“What?” asked Fionn.

“It is not all for nothing. You hear me?” He growled to his friends. “I can’t offer him shit. Have seen the Omega? Have you? Born into money; sleek cars, penthouses, already owns countless businesses- all that crazy shit. His face is everywhere; modelling, designing- parading. What do I give him, huh? The only thing I own is my motorbike, and working as a mechanic four days a week, closes to nothing, to help.”

As soon as Harry saw the ‘pity expression’ on his friend’s faces, he put the helmet, inserted the key in the ignition, and before he took off, he said a last angry ‘this is shit’.

* * *

“This is shit, Niall.” Louis took the fabric and threw it across the room. “I don’t want this- I don’t for God’s sake,” he shouted, angry tears rolling down his face.

“Lou, please calm down. We can return it- no, I will do it. I will take this in a cheap, used plastic bag and toss it at his door.”

Niall tried to calm his friend down, but every attempt was useless. He had been crying for over ten minutes and Niall couldn’t see his friend like that.

“What if you do, Niall? Okay, you help me this time, but what about all the other times? He wants to buy my love, don’t you see? Wants to tie me down by doing all these ‘nice’ things.” Louis sat on his bed and tried to wipe his tears with his hands until his friend offered a tissue. “It is not nice. He has probably made his minions overwork just to create this gorgeous jacket for me.”

“Don’t think that, Lou...”

“Niall, the ball will be tomorrow, and he has received his invitation two days ago. This jacked needs at least three days to be embroidered and three or so more to be precisely tailored.”

Okay, Niall couldn’t argue with that.

“What do you recommend we do then?”

“Nothing,” Louis whispered.

“Are you serious? This man does not understand- or better say, does not want to understand that you don’t want him. At this point, there is no free space for all the flowers he brings every day. You should start reselling them as soon as they arrive, hey?”

Niall was trying to put some sense in his best friend’s head, but he also understood how helpless Louis felt. James Tomlinson loved the man; he trusted him. And truth be told, Elias truly cared about Louis, but he seemed he had difficulty in understanding that the Omega didn’t want him.

Louis’ heart was already taken- and smashed on the floor- but, yes, taken. By an Alpha who wanted nothing to do with him. An egoist, arrogant, stupid Alpha; who wanted nothing to do with him.

* * *

It was after eleven when Nova’s phone started buzzing where it was placed on her knee.

All five of them were watching a movie at Harry’s that Sunday. After the Alpha had furiously decided to go home, they all grew anxious and followed him. After the accident, Harry had had two years before, they never had a calm mind when he was around his motorbike.

Nova had felt guilty when her friend went home, and she hadn’t left his side since the moment Harry had answered the door.

The buzzing of her phone continued, no matter how hard she tried to ignore it, as she was comfortable with her head rested on Harry’s chest.

“No, aren’t you gonna answer that phone?” Harry chuckled when he noticed his friend’s eyes half-awake.

“No.” She mumbled.

Fionn was resting his head on Nova’s hip, so when the phone started buzzing again, he groaned.

“Who is it? Answer that damn phone, wife.”

The last part got on her nerves, so she made sure to slap a hand down his face.

“Please Hazz answer.”

Harry got the device in his hand, still laughing at his friend’s childishness, but completely stilled when he saw his soulmate’s name flashing on the screen.

“No, take this. It’s Louis.”

“Louis? He never calls this late. Answer him, maybe it’s an emergency.”

Harry’s Alpha pushed him to act on instinct and answer because if he had a clearer mind, he would know that Louis wouldn’t just need to call Nova if he ever had an emergency.

“Hello?” Harry spoke and the butterflies in his belly re-opened their wings when he heard the Omega’s hesitant voice.

“Oh, um... Is Nova not there?” Then a sniffle. The voice was low and sad.

Harry raised on his feet as fast as he humanly could, as a result making Nova collapse on the sofa and Fionn’s head crush on her hipbone.

“Hey, are you okay?”

There was not an answer for a couple of minutes, the worry in the Alpha’s voice probably having confused the boy.

“J-Just wanted to talk to her...”

“You can tell me, is everything alright?”

Nova sensed that something was happening with Louis, and of course, he wouldn’t just talk to Harry like that. She took the phone in her hand, ignoring his Alpha friend’s growls.

“Hey, Lou, everything okay?”

“I am so sorry that I am disturbing you guys at this hour. It is really stupid...”

“Cut the shit with me. I don’t care if you call me at three in the morning. Now, tell me.”

“You know about the ball... Tomorrow, right?” Louis was whispering, but part of his mind was still thinking about Harry. He had sounded worried. Why?

“Yes, what about it?”

“I am asking you before I talk with Fionn, but do you mind if he- maybe stayed by my side... All night- tomorrow?” Louis sounded breathless and Nova couldn’t help but laugh.

“I won’t mind if you keep him.”

“No, I am not kidding. Just Elias will be there and I know he will pull something, and I just want to have excuses to be away from him...”

Harry was staring at Nova, waiting for her hung up and say something. So, she decided to play a little.

“Is he bothering you that much, Louis?” She pulled a worried expression. He knew very well how insistent Elias could be for Louis, had heard lots of stories.

Harry’s eyebrows nearly touched his hairline; knuckles white.

“You know he does bother me.” Louis chuckled.

“Yes, but I didn’t think he could ever do that to you...” She knew she was not making sense to his younger friend, but she was enjoying Harry’s nervousness. The Alpha was sitting opposite her, on the edge of the same sofa, Zayn and Quinn were sleeping, cuddling.

“Do what? Say or do something in the middle of the ballroom? Well, yes, he can.”

“Do what? Propose? Maybe he plans on proposing...”

Harry almost immediately raised from the sofa and a loud growl escaped his throat, making Fionn stand up as well and try to calm his friend.

“Hey hey hey, stop there, No. Are you serious? It sounds like you are excited when saying this...” Louis started kind of freaking out. “If he does that, I know I won’t be able to say no. I know my father would want for me to say yes and... And I... Nova, what if he really does that?”

Fuck that game, she shouldn’t have done it.

“Babe, Louis, please breathe. Deep breaths, this won’t happen, okay? Please try to...”

Harry snatched the phone out of her hand and growled again when she tried to take it back.

“I will be there tomorrow night. Don’t worry about him. Do your ‘hosting rituals’ fast at the beginning, then you will escape.”

He hung up and threw his phone on the coffee table.

“Find me some proper clothes.”


	4. Stunning

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So,  
> I am really sorry for taking longer than I thought.  
> I told you about the new job, right?  
> So here is something else. It is time and energy consuming and It only leaves me with the weekend to write.  
> Also, I have something else to tell ya. I know it has turned into a cliche saying this, but I really mean it.
> 
> Know your worth!  
> The girls of my 'team' at this new job, are making it quite difficult for me to feel comfortable. And I am the kind of person to get really upset/cry, no matter how hard I try to talk myself down, but you know what?  
> I do not care. I know my worth. I know I am a hard-working and loyal person. I know I never ask for help unless is really needed, because I challenge myself to do stuff I have never done before.
> 
> Okay, truth be told, there is an anxious feeling in my stomach every time someone says something or tries to step on me, but at the end of the day, it is my health and mind that matters, so I don't care.
> 
> Anyways, don't wanna bore you with all this bullshit, but just wanna say that, for everyone who feels the same as I feel.  
> Please take a deep breath, go for a drink with your friends, or even spend some time alone. Read a book, or write every time you get angry or sad.  
> Work out, run, dance, listen to music, watch a movie. Spend lots of time with your family. 
> 
> Okay, yeah. That.
> 
> So, next will be "DSOM"  
> So sorry for taking this long, and I really hope you enjoy this chapter.
> 
> Your comments, bring me so much joy. Never expected for you to like this one as much as you already are.  
> I love the aesthetic of this book too.
> 
> It is different.
> 
> I want to thank you with all my heart for pushing me to write with all the great comments, kudos, kofiis and general support.  
> I love you so much, my besties.
> 
> Anita Xx

Well, they all kept telling Harry that he shouldn’t take the motorbike to the ball because his hair and clothes looked way too good to be just messed up, but to no avail.

The Alpha looked amazing with the borrowed clothes. Nova and Quinn had done a great job in combining things.

He was wearing the world’s tightest black jeans, paired with a black turtleneck; little bees embroidered around his wrists and on the side of his neck. Zayn’s new leather boots were one of the most expensive items he had ever worn, and that did not sit well with him.

He was offered a beautiful dress jacket to wear on top of the turtleneck, but he forewent it and went for his leather jacket. You would ask if he looked good; like a dream.

While on his motorbike, with his friends following suit in the yellow taxi, he kept thinking how strange it all was. How ‘important’ could a piece of fabric be. Making him look expensive for one night when he knew well that he was not.

Harry was never one for liking that kind of things.

He always tried not to draw any attention and stay in the shade. If he was considered a bad boy, he never cared. The ones that thought his like that were the ones who didn’t know him and his soul.

While those thoughts crossed his mind, he noticed that he was nearly there.

In front of him was a long row of fancy cars, all going in the same direction; the castle-like building where the ball was supposed to be held.

He manoeuvred through the shiny cars; red, white, black and in between. After parking somewhere outside the front gates, he secured the motorbike and waited for his friends to come.

He knew well that the taxi would take a while to arrive, so he decided to explore a bit.

Up the long stone-stairs were many people walking to the entrance. Harry felt so out of place there, in the middle of long dresses and tuxedos and whatnot. The golden jewelry shined as if it was the middle of the day and the smell of the expensive perfumes gave him a headache.

He took the stairs two at a time, not caring for the fancy ones who stared at his leather jacket. It was not worn out or anything, just out of place. But Harry didn’t care.

Walking through the huge door, he tried not to stare at anything or he would trip and break his neck. Inside, everything shined the brightest. The marble floor and the carved ceiling were something he would indeed spend hours staring at.

There were big vases of white peonies, and the chandeliers were pure crystal. Not that he knew how a crystal looked like, but he just knew.

The wall in between the long windows had the fanciest of scribbles on them.

“Oh man, what is all this joke?” He spoke to himself and moved forward with the crowd.

Just there, meeting and greeting everyone, stayed the prettiest of all the details in that room, Louis William Tomlinson.

* * *

Louis’ smile was fake, but no one noticed.

He was obligated to stay there for hours and greet every one of the guests. What kind of fun was that?

He was wearing the jacket Elias had gifted him, because what other chances did he have? Yes, none.

The man was one of the first people to show. He had a huge bouquet of white flowers which Louis knew he had to put somewhere as décor, without breaking the man’s heart.

He was good, and it was pretty obvious that he loved Louis, but he was not his type. He was not his Alpha. The one Louis stayed awake at night thinking about.

“Maybe we should go now, sweetheart. The people won’t stop coming in and going out tonight. You owe me the first dance as well.” Elias winked and put a hand on Louis’ lower back, guiding him further inside the room, but they were stopped in their tracks by Harry’s presence just in front of them. Blocking their way.

“Good evening!”

Man, was he beautiful?

The Alpha had his jaw clenched, and that defined his jawline more. The hair was extra curly that night, all pushed to the side while Louis noticed some stubborn locks hiding underneath the turtleneck.

The green of his eyes complimented the pink of his pulp lips, and the strong thighs looked like they were about to rip the tight material of the jeans in pieces.

Louis’s Omega was getting wild and restless.

He knew Harry had said he would be there, but not like that. And what turned him on the most was the leather jacket. That was the indication that the Alpha had ridden his motorbike there.

“Hello, good evening. Elias!” Elias greeted and laid his hand out to shake. Louis could see the confused look on his face, but being the gentleman that he is, he didn’t say anything.

Harry shook his hand with a short ‘Harry’ and then turned to Louis. “Stunning as ever.” He took the Omega’s hand in his and kissed the back of it. The parts where their skin met started tingling, and Louis couldn’t suppress his smile any longer.

“Doesn’t he?” Elias said, chuckling. He was doing the same thing he did with all the guests; talk about Louis as if he wasn’t there. “This jacket was designed only for him. My workers did a fine job, working extra-long hours so it would fit in this boy’s amazing body.”

Louis had yet to say something, but he didn’t know where to start. Like, just say ‘hi, you look nice too’ to Harry or just say something to Elias, but as fast as ever, his soulmate spoke first.

“This jacket doesn’t define him,” he smiled tight-lipped at Elias, then turned to Louis, “Just as it has nothing to do with you looking stunning.”

“Thank you, Harry.” The Omega whispered with a shy smile that made his ocean-blue eyes look smaller.

“Um, yes, of course... Oh, James is here.”

Just at that moment, a kind of short and blonde man entered the room. Someone was walking closely behind him, so Harry guessed it must be a bodyguard.

He had a small smile playing on his lips and he made sure to stop and greet everyone along the way. When he arrived where the trio was standing, he stopped and gave Louis a once over. “My son, you look stunning. I like what you have done with your hair.” Then he kissed Louis’ forehead and chuckled when Louis rushed to fix his hair when the man lightly touched it; as a joke.

“Good evening, James.”

“Elias, my man. Everything good?”

“Yes, perfect.”

Then James turned to Harry, who had done nothing but look at the interaction with narrowed eyes. The man seemed okay, but you never knew with those riches.

“Dad, this is Harry. A friend I have met through Fionn.” Louis introduced and his father firmly shook his son’s soulmate’s hand.

“How are you, Harry?”

“I am well, sir...”

“Please, call me James. And don’t feel as if you don’t belong. We may not know you, but Louis’ friends are always welcomed wherever he is.” Okay, that was not what he had expected. At all. “Lou, you can show Harry around, I can take over.”

“Are you sure, dad?”

“Hey, don’t question your old man. This is your fourth or fifth ball, but I have done countless.” He winked and clapped Harry on the back. “Now, Elias, if I can have a word with you?”

“Of course. See you, Lou.” The Alpha bent down a bit and placed a kiss on Louis’ cheek.

Needless to say, Harry saw red. He knew he had no right to be jealous or feel the need to put a claim on Louis, but still.

“Come on.”

Harry took Louis’ hand in his and pulled him down the glorious stairs, in the wrong direction of the crowd.

“Harry, slow down... w-where are we... uh,” Rushing down the stairs, the Omega tripped and nearly fell, but Harry’s hand was strong around his middle.

“I told you I would help you escape, what did you expect?”

People were looking at Louis with tentative smiles, but he kept his head down, not wanting to talk or have to explain anything to anyone.

“But, can we just walk?”

“Here they are!”

Louis was thankful when they were secured with both feet on the same level; the freaking steps were over, and there, just in front of them, was the prettiest group of all that party.

Zayn and Quinn, Niall and Aaron, Liam and Sophie and Fionn with Nova.

The girls were wearing long dresses while the men were rocking the tuxedos. They looked as if they had just jumped out of a catwalk or something.

“Louis? Babe, you look...” Nova started to say, and Niall was ready to jump on his friend for hugs, but Harry pushed the Omega behind his back.

“No, nothing of that. We don’t have time, and if you start hugging and complimenting each other, we will never be able to leave. So, until later.”

Harry pulled a stunned Louis to where he had parked the motorbike away from the fancy cars and gossipy snobs.

“Hey, wait. On the motorbike?” Louis looked at the black beast with his eyes wide.

“What? Did you expect a plane or something?”

“Why... Let’s just take my car...”

“Let’s just sit our asses here and stop being dramatic.”

“Harry, I have never... I don’t like this.”

“You will, Louis. Now take the fucking helmet and don’t be afraid to mess your pretty hair a bit.” Harry had his own already on.

“You are an asshole,” Louis grumbled and rolled the helmet in his hands.

“Been told,” Harry said and started the motorbike.

The Omega had never worn a helmet and he was struggling a bit with the straps until Harry grabbed a hold of one of the thick straps and pulled his head closer to his. So close.

“You take that, and put it into this one.” He clasped them together, but Louis couldn’t do anything except for staring at the man’s hands working expertly.

He didn’t know what the night would bring, but it would be a torture for his Omega.

[Serendipity 🌺🌸](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=juw2nFJmb2o)


	5. Kiss

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Please let me know what you think.  
> This fic, makes me excited as If I am reading and not writing it myself xp
> 
> Take care   
> Xx

Louis had never been on a motorbike before. He was afraid to try too, but he needed to escape, and Harry was offering. 

Yes, yes, offering. More like kidnapping, but anyway; beneficial either way. 

“Louis, hold on around my middle.” The Alpha growled after he stopped for the third time. “Am I not speaking in English? Or not too posh for you?” 

“I am holding.” The Omega spoke. He had his hands barely gripping the Alpha’s jacket. He couldn’t do it properly. 

“You are not. I don’t want to go to prison because you fell and broke your neck.” 

“I won’t fall. Go on now.” Louis growled, and that apparently didn’t satisfy the Alpha. 

“Quit it with that attitude Tomlinson, and hold the fuck on.” 

“Stop ordering me around.” Louis pinched Harry’s shoulder. The man stepped hard on the brakes and Louis’ face crushed with the strong back of his neck. 

He whined stubbornly, but he didn’t move from there. The powerful smell of the Alpha mixed with that of the leather made his head feel like floating. 

*** 

When they stopped for good, Louis couldn’t contain the happiness that enveloped his heart, while the cool breeze traced his face as the loud crashing of the waves came like a melody to his ears. 

They were on the beach. For some reason, Harry had started going there more and more. It was like a therapy for him. 

He parked his motorbike close to the shore and went to walk alongside the Omega, who had his eyes closed, and the head was thrown back. 

“Take your smart shoes off.” He said and kept walking with a straight face. 

“My smart shoes?” 

“Yes, smart shoes, I said. They make you look smart. Take them off.” He grumbled. 

“Ah, so I am not smart, huh? The shoes are the trick...” Louis said, but he bent to take them off, anyway. 

“Don’t talk too much. Come.” 

Louis chuckled, “Why do you keep ordering me around?” 

They walked to the shore, and it was almost magical. It was dark and the moon, shining down on the sea, made it look sparkly. 

Three things were shining there, Louis’ detailed jacket, the sea and the capturing blue eyes. 

Harry sat and took his own shoes off after he had struggled to pull his tight jeans up. Louis sat next to him, doing the same with his jeans. 

“It is so beautiful here,” Louis mumbled and leaned on his arms. He was sure he would start getting cold in some minutes, but he didn’t care. The wet sand was satisfying where it kept getting stuck in between his toes. The little droplets of water wetting his legs. 

Another day, maybe it would be bothersome to the Omega, but that night it wasn’t. 

“It is strange, isn’t it?” Louis whispered. And if Harry wasn’t an Alpha, the low voice would have been lost to the noise of the waves crashing on the shore. 

“What is strange?” He asked. His face was stoic, cold, as per always. 

“That me and you are soulmates, but you hate my guts. Yet here you are helping me escape my life.” 

“I don’t hate anyone.” 

Louis chuckled humourlessly, “You sure about that?” 

“Why wouldn’t I be?” It was the first time, since they arrived there, that Harry turned to look at the boy. His eyes were cold. “Huh, why?” 

“Oh, so how you act toward me is called love in your world?” Louis sassed. 

“Well done. Finally, you got it. The keyword is ‘your world’, Omega.” 

Louis looked away, at the horizon, and whispered a breathy ‘coward’. 

“What did you say?” 

The Alpha’s sudden rage pushed him to stay on his knees, in front of the boy. 

When Louis neither replied, nor looked at him, Harry took a stronghold of his chin and turned his head, so they were face to face. “Repeat it. What did you say?” he shouted. 

The roar mixed with the waves created a thunder-like noise that terrified Louis. But he didn’t filch, no. He raised his chin as far as the Alpha’s hold could allow and looked deep in his eyes. 

You could call it a challenging look, or whatever, but it really was not. It was just Louis, trying not to break down for the one hundred’s time, from the same man. 

“I stated a fact; calling you a coward.” 

Harry released his chin and stood up, kicking at the wet sand, angrily. He walked further away with his back to Louis but stopped as soon as the water reached his ankles. 

Taking some deep breaths, he didn’t turn when he spoke, “What do you know about me, man? What do you know about how or why I do things? The easiest type to judge, ha?” He chuckled and then turned around. His eyes matched the sea behind him. Cold, wavy, angry... shiny. 

Louis’ anger picked up, and he stood as well, taking some furious steps until his toes met Harry’s. 

“Me, judging?” His blue eyes were narrowed, and the wind hitting his face was making them sting. He feared the storms, but he had one in his eyes at that moment. 

Harry loved storms. 

The Omega jabbed at his chest with his pointer finger a few times. “If someone is judging here, it is you. You keep talking about my life, my job, my money, my cars... My glorious life. You have been doing that since day one, okay?” Louis got nearer, while his voice raised. “You think this jacket holds my pride?” He unbuttoned it and violently threw it on the sand. One wave pulled it, while the next one pushed it at their feet. “It means nothing.” He pointed at his leather shoes and the watch on his wrist, “Those mean nothing to me...” 

“You know nothing else except for those, though,” Harry growled aloud. It made Louis take a step back, both because of the tone and the words. 

“Coward.” He whispered again and went to pick up his shoes, but Harry took them from his hand and tossed them away. 

“Stop calling me that. You know nothing.” 

“Then prove it, damn it.” The Omega growled back, taking a hold of the leather collar of Harry’s jacket. “Go pick a seashell. Chose the ugliest one and give it to me. See if I care. See if I roll it around in my hand to ‘measure’ it’s worth. See if I care.” 

“Well, I don’t know that. I can’t risk looking all stupid and entertaining you.” Harry pushed back, and the Omega released his collar. 

“Of course, you have a reputation to uphold. Bad boy, motorbike, leather jackets, pretty gals. Of course.” 

“Well,” Harry smirked, looking straight in his eyes, “You are judging now. And jumping into conclusions.” 

“Judging, no. Jumping into conclusions, I don’t know. And at this point, I don’t care.” 

“Hm, let me tell you. Girls fear me.” 

All Louis wanted to do was get over with that stupid, pointless conversation and go home. He wanted to be in his room. Take a shower, cry, sleep. But he wouldn’t let Harry win every time. 

“Well, there should be one.” He mumbled and went to pick his shoes again. 

“Yes, in fact, you are right. Here is one. Or two... Yes, yes, definitely.” The asshole acted as if he was deep in thoughts while Louis could barely breathe without feeling the sobs building in his throat. 

“Perfect then. She is a keeper. No, they. Yes, they definitely are.” 

The Omega took his shoes in his hand and went to gather his soaked jacket from where it was pooled around Harry’s ankles, but just as he was picking it up, the Alpha’s foot prevented him. 

“What are you doing? Let it go.” 

“Oh, you are taking it? So, all the theatrical acts earlier were for nothing?” Harry chuckled, but there was a strange something in his eyes. “Apparently, yes, everything was for nothing...” 

The storm inside the blues was calming a little, and they were turning kind of sad, which did something to Harry’s heart. He didn’t let the feeling win, though, as we bent down and picked the piece of fabric himself. 

“This stays with me. Would have taken it either way.” 

Louis looked at him for a moment, then turned to go. “Perfect. Keep it; would have returned it either way.” He stubbornly walked away from Harry, little tears forming on his eyes. It was because of the wind. 

He paused for a moment to wear his shoes, then kept walking not turning around even once, but he didn’t stop at the motorbike, he passed it in fast steps. 

“Hey...” Harry called from where he was watching from afar, but Louis couldn’t hear. “Hey, Tomlinson.” 

He rushed to walk, cursing the sand for slowing him down, “Where are you going, Omega?” 

“For fuck’s sake, why do you have to be so stubborn,” He mumbled as he ran to catch up with the boy. 

“Hey, hey, where are you going? Slow down a bit, would you?” he gripped the boy’s arm and forcefully turned him around; nearly making him crash to his chest. 

“Let go of my arm.” Louis growled, but nothing happened, “I told you to let go of my arm.” 

“Where are you going alone in the middle of the night?” Harry growled back. 

“Back to the motorbike.” 

“No. I don’t want to go back with you.” 

Louis pushed as his chest with his free hand. 

“Back to the motorbike, I said.” Harry had a scowl on his face as his nose touched the Omegas. “Don’t make me repeat myself.” 

“Who do you think you are, huh? Why do you...” 

Louis was interrupted by the Alpha’s soft yet firm lips on his. He was confused, shocked, stunned by the kiss. 

The Alpha kept his lips unmoved for some seconds, then he really kissed him. The overpowering smell of man, Alpha filled Louis head almost immediately, making him whine low in his chest. He kissed back and allowed the hot tongue access as soon as he requested it. 

They kissed for a bit then Louis pushed him away and not giving him any time to recover, he slapped his cheek with a warning growl. 

“Don’t you ever do that again.” 

He walked fast and stopped by the motorbike, taking and wearing the helmet.


	6. A chance?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> It is building up nicely.  
> I am excited about this fic. Lot's of nice chapters about to come :D
> 
> P.s: I think I need a beta. No, I don't think, I DO need a beta. I am getting insecure with my writing.

Louis had the worst night. He didn’t sleep, nor did he rest.

The kiss kept playing in his head on repeat.

If it didn’t happen and Louis would think “what if he kissed me” he would get excited, but it did happen. And he was not excited.

Why, though? Why the sadness and longing?

Probably because the kiss only meant to happen so it would shut him up. And it did.

He hadn’t spoken all the way back home. He also didn’t say “good night” or “thank you”. Didn’t even spare a glance the Alpha’s way, just unclasped his helmet, handed it blindly and went inside.

After some tiring 24 hours, he was back at work. He was sure that he looked his worst, but there was nothing to do except for using his face roller and favourite skincare.

Walking inside the building, the person he didn’t want to meet until a couple of years passed, was the first that crossed his way.

“Louis, good morning.” Elias spoke gently, “Can we talk for a moment, please?” Without waiting for an answer, he opened the door of the first free office and motioned for Louis to go inside first.

Louis’ inner Omega chuckled at the sweet-talking and the gentle acts of that man. And just there was the vast difference. If it was Harry, he would have grabbed the Omega’s arm and would have dragged him through the corridors of the company; not caring if the whole world would be staring at them.

As always, he tried not to think too much about that.

“Good morning,” Louis mumbled, “I was about to go catch up with all the mess I have stocked up, but... Okay.”

They entered the office; it was too light there. Louis’ head was protesting and pleading for some darkness and distance from all the people, but no such luck.

They sat opposite each other, and it was pretty obvious that Elias had thought about everything because there were two steaming hot cups on the table in front of them.

“So?” Louis started. He crossed his arms over the crisp white shirt and leaned back on the soft cushion; barely holding himself not to be rude. That man didn’t deserve it. He was too good to the Omega.

“Sorry to approach you this way, or this early, but I was just curious and wondering what happened last night?”

“What do you mean what happened?” Louis asked; busying himself with the hot mug.

“Well, you disappeared...” Elias said, raising an eyebrow. Apparently, he had noticed Louis’ strange behaviour.

That man didn’t deserve it.

“Yeah, really sorry. I just... It’s so stupid. I just don’t like these fancy parties anymore. Don’t see a purpose for having them.” The Omega spoke half of the truth.

“Hey now, I don’t care, alright? If you don’t like them, you don’t. Nothing wrong with it. It was just a bit weird, and I was worried.” Ella’s smiled and sipped from his own mug. “Your father as well. Kept asking the security guys if they knew where you had gone.”

Louis’ heartbeat increased. Someone must have seen him. “And?”

Ella’s chuckled, “And he fired all the security team when they said that they hadn’t seen you around since you entered the building that evening.”

All the blood left the Omega’s face. “No, please tell me he didn’t do it?”

“He did, but he changed his mind when I told him how good you are at sneaking on people.”

Louis lowered his head; embarrassed. Elias moved from where he was sitting and went to sit next to Louis.

“Louis, please, tell me something,” He said, “Did you like the jacket I made for you?”

The Omega’s eyes widened, and he turned his head to look at the man.

Something was up.

“Of course!” He whispered; cheeks red. “I told you that.”

_“Everything was for nothing.”_

_“This stays with me.”_

_“Would have taken it either way.”_

_“Keep it; would have returned either way.”_

“Yes, you did, but today I found it at my doorstep in this state.” He picked something from the side of the table, and it was a plastic bag. The golden details of the garment inside the bag were quite visible. It was his jacket.

Louis felt every drop of blood leave his face for the second time that morning; his hands started to shake, so he set the mug on the table because, at that rate, he would have spelt the coffee all over his clothes.

“Is... Is that...?” He acted incredulously. Well, he was angry and embarrassed, but he still needed to put on a mask of ignorance for the Alpha.

“Yes, that’s the jacket. All rumpled and wet; just shoved inside this...” He moved the plastic back around where he was picking it by the handles with his thumb and pointer finger, “... Plastic bag.”

“Shit. Last night, before I left, I went to one of the guest rooms upstairs and must have left it there. Probably someone found it.” Louis rushed to say, but something was left out, “It doesn’t explain why it’s wet, though.”

Elias seemed to believe him because a big smile appeared on his face. “Don’t worry about it. I’ll check if this can be fixed and Martha will make sure to clean it.”

Louis’ smile was forced, and he nodded. “Okay, thank you.” He stood so fast from where he was sitting, “I think I will go, then. I have a lot to do today.”

“Of course. Can we do lunch?”

“You know I never make plans while in work, never know what I will have to deal with next.” He smiled again, hoping that Elias wouldn’t say anything else, and made his way outside.

Harry Styles was a shit Alpha and Louis would make sure to let him know.

* * *

Louis was fuming.

While walking out to get to his car, he called his father, just to assure him that everything was fine with his team, asking them to cover for him for a couple of hours.

Later, in his car, only minutes away from Harry, he noticed that would never be a creep and go at his home or working place.

Of course, he knew where the Alpha lived, Nova had made sure to say it first thing after she learned about them being soulmates.

“Soulmate my ass.” Louis though as he took a sharp turn and two minutes later parked in front of Fionn and Nova’s home. It was early morning, so he knew he would find his friend there.

He parked, and once the driver’s door was slammed shut, he rushed to the door where Nova was already waiting for him.

“Babe was expecting you here way earlier,” She smirked and gave him a big kiss on his cheek when he entered.

“And why is that, Nova, dear?” He took his shoes off and went to the living room. The house too familiar to him.

“Because I am sure H has done something to annoy you last night.” She answered and went to sit on one of the sofas, while Louis remained to pace the room.

It was well-decorated. Fionn’s ideas and talent were still mesmerising to him. Even after all the years working together in the same department.

“Oh, yes, he did.” He said, “He did plenty.”

Nova laughed. She always enjoyed Louis’ dramatic actions.

“Why so stressed, love? What happened last night?” Louis huffed and puffed and continued pacing. “Come sit and tell me what had angered you so much.”

“He kissed me, the asshole... he kissed me.” Louis stubbornly sank on the other sofa, in front of his friend, whose eyes had gone eyes and mouth open.

“What did he do now?” she sat straighter, her eyes never leaving Louis’ face. “Come again?”

“I said ‘he kissed me’.” Louis covered his face with both his hands.

Nova moved them away and smiled at her friend miscellaneously. “And?”

“And nothing. Don’t get so excited. I hated it, the kiss. I didn’t enjoy it.”

“How can’t you enjoy it when it’s your soulmate kissing you?” The woman asked, and she seemed genuinely curious. She had known all her life that Fionn was her soulmate, and kissing him was always pleasurable, enjoyable; so she couldn’t quite understand.

“This is what I thought, too; whenever the idea crossed my head. That I wouldn’t be able to contain the happiness, the excitement, but no. I felt worthless.” Louis’ eyes had gone sad, “I stayed all night thinking and... I decided to give Elias a chance.”

“What?” Nova pushed back, looking at him with wide eyes.

“Yes, on the way to work, I had doubts, of course, but you know what sealed the deal? The jacket.”

“What jacket?”

And Louis told Nova everything. All that had happened. His emotions blending with his voice and making the woman want to find and kill Harry. That giant, stupid Alpha.

“Louis,” She spoke when her friend finished telling everything, “You know I have known Harry way longer than I know you and guess what? He hates that I am always at his throat when it comes to you.” She smirked, “He knows I don’t give a damn tho. I have warned him more than once.”

Louis felt so happy to have Nova in his life. She was like a big sister to him.

“I know, No, and I am so grateful to have you, but he is your friend too, as you said it yourself, you know him way longer than me.”

“This has nothing to do with the fact that he is being unfair and unreasonable.”

Louis said nothing. He rested his head on the soft cushion and stared at the ceiling for a long time. He just wanted to be able to give Elias a chance.

“I have an idea, but I know you won’t like it,” Nova spoke, from where she was sitting next to him.

“Don’t say It then,” Louis said without looking her way.

“Well, I might have taken the first step on that plan, already...” Nova spoke calmly, not even trying to sound sorry or worries about what she had done.

“What have you done?”

“I have noticed that regardless of what he shows, Harry has feelings for you,” Nova said while playing with her rings.

Louis turned his head to look at her for a moment, then started laughing.

“Yes, right…”

“Yes, Lou, I am not joking. It all makes perfect sense; please open your eyes. The soulmate call is stronger than what we think. Not an Omega, nor Alpha can break it.”

“I know... But no. I don’t think he has feelings. No.”

“I have gathered enough evidence to make me think about it.”

Louis didn’t say anything after that. He didn’t believe it. What could he say? The Alpha had never shown any signs that he liked him; always being rude and trying to hurt him.

They stayed like that for a while until Nova spoke again.

“I am not saying to not give Elias a chance and to go after Harry, not with how he treats you, but to just open your eyes for a bit and see what I see. Just to do this because you make rushed decisions.”

Nova was right, and she had a point, but Louis couldn’t just walk over his pride just like that.

“No, why do I have to be the one to open my eyes when he is at fault for treating me like shit? I know he is my soulmate, I accept, and I am attracted to him just by that fact, but he doesn’t want. So why does it have to be me?”

“Louis, when I first met Fionn, we were in high school. He was the sweetest Alpha I had ever met, and I felt the pull as soon as we accidentally first met at a party.” She smiled at the memory, “But I wasn’t ready. I wasn’t ready for him, for a relationship, for a life together. If it wasn’t for his heart of gold and for all the days when he tried in every form to show his feelings to me, we wouldn’t be here today. I am so happy now. And I would have hated myself if I wouldn’t have allowed myself to be loved.”

Louis stood from where he was sitting and angrily shouted. “Fuck, Nova. Fuck!”

His friend knew then that she had changed his mind. And she would do anything to help him and protect him from his own Alpha.

* * *

Nova’s ideas were crazy, like literally crazy. The kind of ideas that Louis would run from, but in this case, he felt like he should try one last time. At least his friend made it sound so easy.

“1- Don’t give Elias a chance just yet.

2- Use Elias’ name as often as you can to see Harry’s reaction.

3- If he reacts, good for you, he will suffer until he listens to his inner Alpha, not his stupid logic.”

Nova’s words.

“Hello, Harold, are you at the garage?”

Louis’ Omega was restless in the passenger seat of Nova’s car. They had left the house to go to Harry’s work.

“Yes, just my car, keeps making a strange noise... no, just started, not all the time though. Yes, okay. See you.” She hung up and turned to smirk at Louis.

“I thought he only works with motorbikes.”

“It’s what he prefers, but he can totally repair a car.”

“I don’t think it will work.”

“It will!”

“I don’t think it’s the right thing to do.”

“Probably not. Who will judge us?”

The mischievous smile was still present, and Louis doubted it would disappear anytime soon.

***

Nova parked inside the big garage and as soon as they got out of the car, Louis’ insides filled with the cottony feeling he got whenever he was near Harry. He hadn’t still seen him, but his Omega had.

And it was strange that Harry rounded the row of cars out of nowhere with his eyes finding Louis in a heartbeat. Probably he had felt it too.

He was wearing a black shirt and black, skinny jeans, which both fit like a second skin. Muscles and tattoos peeking out of the short sleeves of the shirt and making Louis’ mind spin.

He looked amazing; intimidating.

Louis felt shy all of a sudden. Not too sure where the feeling came from, as an hour ago he was ready to kill that man. And what made the matters worse, he expected Harry to be rude or ignore him, but he didn’t.

“I see you don’t plan on leaving each other’s sides anytime soon.” He spoke and went to kiss Nova on her cheek.

“You are right, we don’t.” She answered and hugged him around the neck.

Louis felt awkward, staying there, and at that moment the plan seemed so stupid.

“What’s up.” Harry nodded his way.

“Fine,” Louis said, not knowing how to answer that question properly. Because obviously nothing was up. Everything was down.

“So, No, what’s the urgency? What has happened to this beast?” He asked his friend and patted the hood of the car.

“Not sure. It started making this weird noise for a split second, then did it again later. Didn’t want to risk.” She lied expertly.

Louis didn’t know what to do. He felt like a teenager. In front of him were around twenty men, all working on some car or motorbike. He could sense the eyes on him, and when he observed the place, there was a tall man, handsome, muscly, staring at him shamelessly. He even dared wink at Louis when they made eye contact, so the Omega turned to mind his own business. That was not there.

“... but you will have to wait for that. Everyone is busy.”

“No problem. Lou and I can enjoy a cuppa while we wait. Right, Lou?” Nova asked, and he nodded as soon as he heard his name. “Perfect, there is a coffee shop just around the corner, I will go get us some tea.”

“I will come with you,” Louis said, but Nova went to kiss him on the cheek while she pinched his arm.

“I will not take long.” She said and left, leaving an awkward Louis together with Harry. Just Harry.

The Omega shifted and turned to look at the man who was already staring at him.

“What are you doing here?” He asked.

“I was with Nova.”

“You didn’t have work to do?”

“I did, but this was much more important.”

“You reek of your designer.” She spoke with his head held high. As if he needed to be more intimidating than he already was.

“My desi...? He is not a designer or my designer...” Louis informed.

“I don’t care.”

“Why did you send the jacked to him?”

Harry’s nostrils flared and his eyes got darker.

“Because I wanted to.”

“It’s not your business. You made it pretty clear last night.”

The Alpha looked down at him, with his fists clenching. He was near, too near.

“I have work to do, go to your own, I can’t babysit you all day.” He snarled. “Ah, and about last night, this is what I was talking about.” He opened his arms to show around them. “This is a glimpse of my life. Not glorious, as you can see.”

“And you had always had glimpses of me, not giving a fuck about these things. But you decide to ignore that.”

Louis turned to go but crashed against someone.

“The kitten has got claws, I see. An Omega after my heart.” It was the handsome man who was staring at him.

“Move away, Luke,” Harry spoke.

“Why? Seemingly you weren’t enjoying his company. You can stay with me, love.” The man, Luke looked down at Louis.

“I am not a baby. Move!” Louis pushed the man aside turned to Harry one last time, but what he wanted to say was lost when he saw the small smile playing on his lips. A small smile. Almost proud.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Let's gossip.  
> What do you expect to happen?  
> What do you think?


	7. On purpose

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Heyyyy,  
> Here is the new chapter.  
> This doesn't contain lot's of Louis in it, but you will get plenty of larry next chapter.  
> Enjoy Xx

“I don’t fucking understand it, Jen...” Harry was staring at the blank ceiling. “He’s my bloody Omega, I shouldn’t have all these mixed feelings. Either love him or hate him, for fuck’s sake.”

Jenny was playing with his hair, from where he was resting his head on her lap. The Alpha kept talking about his Omega boy, and she was listening. Her back was pressed against the headboard, while her hands were either combing through his hair or tracing the veins on his neck.

“And you don’t love him? Or hate him?” She asked with her eyebrows raised, looking down at him.

“Well, he is frustratingly pretty. Always clad in the best clothes chosen to hug his amazing body so tightly. Has a smart mouth on him, never scared to say what he has in mind.” A small smile showed on the man’s lips, “He is at my throat about the simplest of things I say. And he is right. I make sure to be an asshole every time we meet.”

“It seems to me that you need some help to decide, dear. And while you keep thinking about either you fancy your pretty boy or not, I will just go ahead and…”

She bent to place her lips on his, unmoving at first, but eagerly kissing her friend, like many times before. The Alpha continued staring at the ceiling for a while, but then closed his eyes and kissed back.

Jenny’s manicured nails scraped down his chest, and without waiting longer, she cupped him through his jeans, putting enough pressure to make his mind drift off.

Harry made zero effort to move. He shifted his head so she would change position and straddle his lap.

“Getting better at it, huh? No need for guidance anymore.” Harry smirked and unbuttoned her blouse.

“Practice makes perfect.” She answered and started kissing and sucking on his neck.

***

As soon as he parked in front of Fionn’s home, Harry noticed Louis’s sleek black car in the driveway alongside Zayn’s motorbike. He sighed and went to unclasp his helmet.

Lately, he had seen Louis everywhere. It was an impossible task to ignore him, and the problem was that he was blending more and more with his friends.

Even Zayn; cool, difficult to befriend Zayn, seemed to like him.

He knocked on the front door and greeted Fionn with a pattern on his shoulder when he opened it.

“What is he doing here, man?”

“Louis? We invited him over. Niall and Liam are here as well.” Fionn informed.

Harry bent to take his boots off.

“Man, really?”

“What?” Harry looked up at him. His friend had a disappointing look on his face.

“Did you think it was a good idea to come here straight after fucking someone?” Fionn said and leaned his back against the wall, gaping at Harry. “Or to fuck someone today; exactly today?”

“What do you mean?” Harry asked as he stood and rested his back against the opposite wall. Raising an eyebrow in challenge.

“You are marked and scented. Are you trying to prove to him you don’t care?” Fionn crossed his arms and smiled humourlessly, “No need for the show, he is well away of that. This, though, will only hurt him further and it makes you look like an asshole.”

And with that, Harry was left alone in the short hallway.

He hadn’t checked himself in the mirror when he left Jenny’s house. He knew she enjoyed biting his neck and chest and thinking about it, probably the let her do it on purpose. Knowing that there was a possibility of meeting Louis that evening.

He walked inside the living room and discovered that everyone was occupying every comfy looking surface. Niall was lying on the sofa, with Liam sitting at the end; his friend’s feet on his lap.

Fionn, Zayn and Quinn were settling on the other one, and Nova was in the armchair with Louis sitting on the floor. His head resting on her knees.

Harry stared at him for a while. He looked like a dream, and his smell was the first to reach to his senses in the mass of mixed aromas.

It was the first time Harry had seen him wearing joggers and a plain white shirt, and he already looked like a model.

_“What the fuck are you thinking about? You are here for your friends. Concentrate on them.”_

After short greetings, Harry sat in the armchair where it was set next to Nova’s, careful not to touch Louis’ shoulder with his knee.

There were Chinese and Indian takeaway packs, pica and popcorn all over the coffee table, but Harry didn’t feel like eating. He could feel Louis’ eyes burning the underside of his chin. He knew what the boy was looking at, but he told himself that he didn’t care.

If he wanted to become part of their little group, he would have to get used to it. Harry wouldn’t change for anyone.

Everyone was talking and laughing, but the anxious scent of Louis was making him uncomfortable. He huffed to make it obvious that he was annoyed and Louis was no stupid.

“Nov, going to prepare me a cuppa. You want?” Harry watched him ask his friend, but not waiting for a reply. It was as if he wanted to find a reason to leave the room as soon as he could.

Nova stayed put for a bit, watching him with sad eyes, and decided to follow.

As soon as the suffocating aroma left the room, Harry breathed freely, but his Alpha kept clawing at his chest. Restless, anxious.

“What do you think, Haz?” Quinn asked him.

“Come again?”

“You think we can go to the beach again on Sunday. You said you know a good spot. We can go there.” Zayn repeated when he noticed his friend struggling to catch up.

“Yes, of course. It would be fun.” He said and rose to his feet. The curiosity getting the best of him. “Just a moment. Need to wash my face.”

“And tour neck...” Quinn shouted after him, and the rest laughed, but Harry didn’t stay to listen. His Alpha was killing him, pushing him around. Making him go and find the source of all the stress and make sure he is okay.

He walked through the short hallway to the kitchen, but there was no one.

His heartbeat increased as he searched all the rooms and not finding neither Louis nor Nova.

Then he did what was not good to do; he sniffed.

He caught Louis’ smell and concerned in it, while it led him to the back door.

Relief ran through his body in the form of a shiver when he heard their voices through the slightly opened door.

“Lou...” Nova was saying, and her voice was so soft as if she was talking to a baby.

Harry walked a bit closer to the door, and he was them sitting on the last step, with their backs to him.

Nova was kissing his temple and hugging him to her chest.

“No, Nova, I hate this. You don’t have to come after me.” Louis spoke. His voice was so low and vulnerable. “This is why I didn’t want you to get too much into this. I don’t want you to pick sides. We are both your friends.”

Harry knew what they were talking about, and the Omega’s sincerity was admirable.

“I know, I am not talking about that. Because even though he is acting like an asshole, he is still my friend. I am talking about what I told you the other day.”

“About Elias?” Louis asked, and it was obvious that he was sure about the answer.

Harry’ fists inside his front pockets tightened at the mention of that name.

_Why were both Omega friends spending time together and talking about that Alpha?_

“About Elias!” She confirmed.

“Well, you did nothing wrong. You suggested, and my stupid Omega wanted to hang on that little hope.” The Omega mumbled.

“So, you will give Elias a chance?”

Harry’s throat went dry, and his sharp teeth nearly broke the skin of his lips.

“Not straight away,” Louis whispered and turned to look at Nova. “Like, I won’t go tonight and tell him that he can ask me out, without being afraid that I will refuse him. Not after being here. Depressing over my soulmate, who can’t even spare me a glance.” He chuckled humourlessly, and Nova wrapped an arm around his shoulder, bringing him to her chest.

Harry took a step forward, wanting to go there and hold Louis in his arms. To tell him that he shouldn’t go around accepting all the offers that are thrown his way. But what would be his reason?

“Your soulmate is an asshole.”

Yes, the Alpha felt like one.

“We have said this already.” The boy smiled down at his hands. “No matter how much I try to ignore it, Elias deserves a hundred chances.”

“Then go ahead and give him one.”

“... Did you notice his marks? Freshly made. As if he wants me to look at them, give up. It hurts my Omega, but it probably is for the best. Better stop now...”

Harry moved from the door and went inside the kitchen. He grabbed a beer from the fridge and took some large gulps in hope that the liquid would make the troubled feelings go away.

It didn’t.

His head was pounding; his Alpha restless.

He went to the guest room and laid down on the bed.

What the hell was he doing? At that moment, nothing made sense. Why was he doing that? Refusing the soulmate call. Was it worth it?

He couldn’t go out on the small balcony, lighting a cigarette, then another and another, until he got out of his head with a light tap on his shoulder.

“Enjoying your day, bad boy?” Nova asked him and rested her back against the railings and took the cigarette from his fingers, bringing it to her lips.

“I heard you and Louis earlier.” He said, looking ahead, at an ugly house in front of him.

“I know,” Nova said, blowing the smoke in his face. “I didn’t say anything because I wanted you to listen.”

“I did listen.” He mumbled and took the cigarette back.

“Were you affected is the question.”

“My Alpha is killing me. The stupid, blind beast only wants the Omega. Doesn’t really care how important it is to be able to afford said Omega.”

Nova took the half-finished smoke, letting it drop on the floor and grabbing the Alpha’s shoulders so he could look at her eyes. “He is not Anna. I still don’t understand how the fuck you got obsessed with that damn gold digger, but he is not her.”

Harry huffed in annoyance and turned to look away, but Nova wasn’t having any of it.

“You are losing your soulmate. And it’s your doing because he is always ready to fight for you.”

Harry rolled his eyes and whisper-shouted at her, “Are you fucking listening to me at all?”

“I am. Can’t afford this, can’t afford that. He doesn’t need it; doesn’t want that from you.”

“And this is the problem, No. He needs nothing from me because he can provide for both of us. And I am not the kind of Alpha to let this happen.” He ran his hands on his hair and looked at her, eyes kind of desperate. “Nova, you know that my mother is the living proof of all the damages this kind of relationship brings.”

“Not this same shit again. And you are right you are not the kind of Alpha to do that. You are the kind who goes out and gets marked on purpose. Just to hurt him, to push him away.”

Harry’s eyes turned black. “I didn’t do that on purpose.”

“Then why?” She asked him, “Why go around and fuck other people?”

“You are making it sound as if I was cheating on him.” He growled.

Nova sighed and pushed to go, “You are my friend, and I love you, but what you are doing is not right.”

Harry didn’t say anything to anyone. He just got out and left in a hurry.

* * *

He found his mother at the same spot she usually occupied when she was tired. Sitting outside on her balcony swing, sipping from a hot cuppa.

He wordlessly went to sit on the floor, his head resting on her lap.

“Careful, love.” She set the mug of half-finished tea on the floor next to Harry. “Why so sad, baby?” She combed her manicured fingers through his hair.

“Not sad, just...” He mumbled with his eyes closed.

“Louis?” She asked, her voice teasing.

Harry moved his head and turned to look at his mother.

“Nova told me.”

“You and Nova have been talking a lot lately. But I don’t appreciate talking about me behind my back.” He mumbled and stubbornly placed his head back on her lap, making his kosher chuckle and start scratching his scalp lightly.

“It is not like that, and you know it.” She said, “Why are you doing that to the poor Omega, Harry? You know, I have raised you better than that.”

“Mum, why do we have to talk about this? I am doing what I think it’s right for both of us.” Harry grumbled with his eyes closed.

“Harry, you can’t deny you soulmate...”

“And wait for the same thing that happened to you, to happen to me as well?” He knew he was harsh, but it had to be said.

“Baby, your father...”

“Don’t call him that. He is not my father.”

Anne stopped petting his hair, and her face turned serious.

“He is your father, whether you want to call him that or not. And what happened there was us wanting different things. You don’t even give yourself a chance to know Louis.” She said, face unreadable.

“I have given plenty of chances to know that it won’t work.”

“Who have you given those chances? Anna? It was pretty obvious to everyone that she didn’t want the life you were offering her, so your chances have gone to waste, don’t count them.”

Harry turned his head to look at his mother. He knew she was stating the truth, but it still hurt to hear it.

“Sad truth for the sad truth.” She shrugged.

* * *

Nova went to pick up her car from the garage. Harry would go back with her too, and they would head to the beach.

She had called Louis on her way, to let him know that even though Fionn should have invited him and the office boys already, she wouldn’t go if he wouldn’t join them.

The girl hadn’t seen her friend since the day they gathered at her house a week ago. She knew Louis was hurt, but what worried her was the fact that he was being rejected by his Alpha, his soulmate, which usually harms the Omega in more ways than one.

The boy, rightfully, had declined, stating that he had a lot of work to catch up on, but Nova was too stubborn to be rejected.

She entered the garage and saw Harry already in her car. His hair was styled nicely, and he was already wearing a jacket, which meant his shift was over, and he was ready to go.

“Hey, you. You wanna drive?” She asked as she neared the driver’s door.

“If you don’t mind...”

“Of course not. Ready to go?”

“Hey, Nova. You guys going?”

It was Nick who spoke, walking towards them with a bunch of tools in his hands. Luke following in tow.

“Hello, guys. Yes, ready to take a much-needed break from this city.” She smiled at them and noticed how Luke tilted his head a little to look behind her.

“No, Louis today?” he asked, and then it clicked. She smirked when, at the corner of her eye, she caught Harry’s hand gripping the door handle. Nick chuckled and walked away, shaking his head.

_Interesting._

Nova laughed, “Well, not here. We will meet him when we arrive.”

Luke smiled. “Cool...”

_Well, testing the waters then..._

“I would ask you to join us...”

“He has work to do!” Harry growled.

“... But you might have to be here...”

“I am done here.” He rushed to explain. “I mean, five minutes to wash up and get ready... If you don’t mind me joining.”

That felt like finding a hidden treasure for Nova.

“Great. Hurry up; we will be waiting here.”

As Luke jogged to put the tools in their respective places, the girl turned to look at Harry. He was already staring at her with an unreadable face.

“What?” She asked and rounded the car to sit on the passenger seat.

“You shouldn’t have invited him. Not without checking with the others.” He growled, staring at her.

“You know they won’t mind. He looked like he needed a rest...”

“Cut the bullshit, No. I know what you are doing. And I don’t appreciate it.”

_Well, finally._

“I don’t care. You have made your decision, so you should be happy. I will do whatever I can to help Lou find a reason to be happy too.”

“You don’t know Luke.” He nearly shouted inside the car. Never using his Alpha voice, though.

“He seems a good guy. Handsome too.” She answered casually, picking her phone to call her Alpha.

“You don’t know him.”

“Well, he is interested. Now it’s up to Louis. Either him or Elias... Or those other brainless famous candidates that keep going his way.”

_It was going to be a long day._

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Harry is acting stupid, isn't he?  
> Stupid Alpha...


	8. Waves do confuse

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I am catching up 😄  
> Here is a warm-up, you will have more updates on every work now. I have started the next chapters and currently working :)  
> Thank you for your patience!
> 
> Lots of love 🌸

Harry pressed the throttle down hard, following Nova’s car. His jaw was clenched tight all the time, and his fingers were white as snow, gripping the handlebars. 

Beside him were Zayn and Quinn, riding Zayn’s bike. 

While Niall and Liam were following them. 

If he had it his way, he would have left a long time ago, and waited for his friends, and Louis, on the beach by then, but he knew better than that. 

After the accident he had had years ago, they would never let him ride on his own. 

His mad eyes were always staring at the car that was driving in front of him. 

He could discern the shapes of Louis and Luke sitting in the back of the car. 

Once, during the drive, he saw Louis throw his head back and laugh as he always did at all fun moments. Even if he tried, he couldn’t focus more on him, until Luke stretched his arm and put it back behind the Omega neck. 

Probably he had not touched the boy at all, or probably everything was friendly, but Harry could not be certain whether he did not have a clear view of him. 

And that’s what he did; went forward to find out. 

He drove parallel to the car and just off the side where Louis was. But as long as he was here, he was staring at nothing but the boy’s blue eyes. 

Taking sudden pauses to watch the wide road tilted in front of them, Harry was surprised to find the storm orbs looking straight back at him every time he looked his way. 

The moment was broken when Fionn got his attention, signalling for him to go where he was before and do nothing foolish. 

He detested Nova’s horn and Zayn’s wavy movements.

* * *

As they reached the beach, the sun was setting beautifully over the horizon. 

Harry didn’t wait for the rest of them. He just parked his motorbike and grumpily made his way in the shore’s direction. 

The place was deserted, only a few small figures in the distance. 

He could hear the loud voices and laughter of his friend’s coming after him, and it instantly made him wish he was there alone. God knew he needed some peacefulness. 

He sat down in the last dry stretch of sand, near the shore. 

He stretched his long legs, loving the feeling, but he bent them beneath his body when the waves came crashing near them. 

“Why so quiet, man?” Zayn sat beside him, throwing his arm over his shoulders. “Is anything bothering you?” 

“Nah, nothing. I just had the stupidest day at work.” He grumbled. 

‘Pretty stupid indeed.’ Luke confirmed while sitting on his right. 

Somehow everyone went sitting around him. All watching the wild waves licking the shore once, then returning in force to crash over it. 

‘... Nick is a nice guy, but he knows how to keep us in check.” Luke chuckled. 

Harry didn’t really feel like making small talk at all, or better put with Luke. He felt some kind of way, no matter how much he loved his friend. 

“He is not holding us in check. He enslaves us.” Harry grumbled and could not resist the temptation to see the tiny figure of Louis in the corner of his eye. He was curious to see where the Omega was, beside whom and at what distance from him. 

Well, he couldn’t see anything without obviously moving his neck or his body, as everyone was sitting in a line and one was blocking the other. 

“Ever the drama queen, Harold dear.” Nova mocked him and he said nothing back because he was not in the mood for bickering with any of them. 

“Does he give you hard tasks during the day?” Louis’ quiet voice was heard over the sound of the waves. Harry naturally wanted to turn towards him and respond, but he refrained from doing so. 

So, Luke replied. 

“No, he is truly a good man.” Luke’s voice went one octave lower; warmer. “And it is not like the tasks are shared unfairly, really. There are is truly an eventful day.” 

“But are there no off days or just days when you are able to breathe a little?” The Omega asked again. 

The voice was so soft and warm for Harry in this stiff wind which brought chills to his body. He sort of wanted to answer that boring, useless question. He just didn’t want to give Luke any chance to inform him of anything, to form any kind of bond, friendship or worse relationship. 

But no. No, he’s not doing that. 

He shook his head, trying to take those thoughts off his head. 

“Lou baby, it’s just like any normal job. But our Harold, here, just enjoys complaining about anything and everything.” Nova says and Zayn chuckled next to him. 

A bunch of traitors, all of them. 

“How about you, Louis? How is that fashion show thingy going?” Quinn asked and bent a little to be able to look at the boy who was sitting a few bodies away. 

“Hm, it’s going...” 

“Say that you hate it, already,” Nova said, interrupting him. 

“I can’t say I absolutely hate it, but I don’t enjoy it either.” 

“So why are you doing it?” Zayn asked with his eyebrows raised. Curiosity was written on his face. 

If it was another day, Harry would tease him if he wanted to be a model, that’s why he was so curious, but that day he wouldn’t. A terrible headache had already built. 

“Mostly because the designer is my friend. And he kind of asked, so...” 

Elias, then. 

Well, Harry had to say something. 

“If he were truly a friend, he would not ask. Friends know when you don’t like things.” He said bitterly, always looking at the waves in anger. They looked much like Louis’ eyes whenever Harry said something stupid. 

They probably had the same nuance as at the moment. 

The Alpha wanted to take a look. 

“Well, a friend is a friend. They are allowed not to know something they are not told.” Louis snapped at him. Harry felt like laughing. That’s always been their way of communicating. He was bitterly provocative, and Louis was shouting at him. 

It was all his doing; he was aware. 

“Oh, so you haven’t told him?” Afraid of not breaking his frail heart.’ 

“Harry, come on man...” Fionn leaned forward, slapping his friend’s leg from over Zayn. 

“Never mind,” Louis mumbled, and Harry hated the pang of guilt in his chest. He hated that all he wanted was to go and hold the boy in his arms, out of the cold breeze. 

“Apparently this has been a bad day for all of us. We had a pig of a client to deal with.” Liam tried to save the day. 

“A pig is the least you can say about old Jonson.” Niall faked a gag that made Quinn laugh. 

“That bad, huh?” 

“A perverse old man. Thankfully, James intervened and took care of him.” 

They spoke there for a moment, everyone asking and answering questions, except Harry who said nothing to nobody, and Louis who tried to avoid Luke’s proximity. 

Luke was a great guy, but it was pretty obvious that he liked Louis more than a friend, and that was way too much at that time. 

After Fionn suggested they take a long walk along the shore before leaving the beach, they all got up and started walking in the same direction. 

It was quiet there. Harry dragged his feet after the others, and where he stood, he had an unobstructed view of Louis. He was walking slowly between Luke and Nova with his arms folded and his head down. He kept rubbing his hands on his arms and Harry swore the pretty shirt he had on. 

The wind blowing on his face also brought a flowery fragrance from the boy. It was his perfume, but hidden within it was also a delicate aroma of Omega. Pure, lovely. 

Harry’s head was in the clouds. The aroma was unbelievable. The boy was delicate, gentle, and probably in the process of developing pneumonia. 

Irresponsible. 

Luke and Nova were chattering and laughing, but he wasn’t paying attention. Head still hanging low. 

Further along were Quinn, Zayn and Niall, while Fionn and Liam walked behind Harry, speaking of an important customer or some deadline. Boring. 

Well, no matter how hard he tried to resist his instincts, he wasn’t strong enough not to return to his motorbike and get the thick black scarf he kept in his backpack for when he might need it. 

He wanted to mock it, fight it, but even he knew it was impossible. His Alpha instincts were stronger than his thick skull. 

He jogged to catch the others but stopped just as he reached them. 

Louis and Luke were walking slowly behind everybody. They were talking. 

Harry hated his inner animal for growling possessively, for clawing at his chest and demanding him to go there and get what was his. 

His boy. 

Not his! 

Cursed be the wind to have carried the whispered words to his ears. And cursed be him for getting too close to them. 

“... just wouldn’t want to hurt anyone. I’m sorry,” said Louis as he touched Luke’s arm. 

The alpha started saying something, but Harry got nothing but brief sentences. Because everyone and everything seemed to be against him that day. The waves, the wind and the noisy laughter of his friends. 

“... future. Don’t you think?” 

The Omega sighed then, and replied a little more loudly, a little desperately, “I already have a soul mate. My Omega is all over the place. I cannot be attracted to anyone else. I am sorry.” 

Harry’s heart broke for the billionth time. He was a complete idiot. Watching the Omega that defeated, that helpless, made him feel like shit. 

He had to talk to Louis. He needed to. 

Luke stopped when he heard the words, and so did Louis. They were looking at each other, both different emotions written in his face. 

All of them knew Luke was not in love with Louis or anything. It was way too early, but he was ready for it. He was attracted to the boy, and at that moment he seemed disappointed. 

Louis though, he looked sad, but relived? He seemed like he didn’t know what to say anymore. His head was tilted and his shoulders tensed; as if he was shrugging. 

Harry decided it was the right time for him to intervene. 

“Hey, a little chilly, huh?” His voice had become deeper and rougher, because of the wind and the fact that he had not spoken for a while. 

Louis turned so quickly to watch him, and that reaction still surprised Harry. His eyes were big and so blue, and his eyebrows creased. He seemed to be sad about what happened, but also relieved that Harry was there. And that made the Alpha puff his chest in content, pride. 

"Here, I noticed how cold you were." He said and wrapped the large scarf around the boy’s delicate shoulders. Louis' body became stiff and his eyes, as great as ever, were glued to his face. He was astounded, of course. 

Luke, on the other hand, awkwardly, used the tip of his shoe to sink the wet sand. Harry felt kind of bad, but not entirely? 

He just caught Nova’s eye, from where she had turned to look at what was holding them so long, and it was enough for her to run toward them and grab Luke’s arm. 

“Hey, Luky, can the battery in a car explode?” She asked as she looked up at him. 

Luke stared at her with a smile on his face. 

"Well, there’s no danger of an explosion if..." 

Nova cut him off by dragging the boy forward. “You come and talk to Niall. He thinks the battery’s about to go off. Stupid, right?” 

Harry noticed how Luke turned around to look at Louis again, and the boy gave him a brilliant smile. The green beast in his chest was too difficult to manipulate, so he cleared his throat to capture the boy’s attention. 

Louis turned his head and lifted his eyes toward the Alpha. His hands were firmly wrapped around the hem of the scarf, and his chin and lower lip were buried in the soft material. 

Harry was sure the Omega was used to having much expensive fabric around his body, but he was satisfied when Louis adjusted it, so it covered his cold nose too. 

“Thank you.” Louis whispered, “For the scarf.” He added a split second later. 

“No big deal.” Harry looked around. Their friends were a fair distance away from them by then. “Do you want to sit there?” He pointed toward a fallen tree bench. 

Louis looked at the tree, then at Harry. His eyebrows wrinkled into confusion by the recent actions of the Alpha. 

“Hm, I was in fact hoping to walk a bit further. It’s enjoyable.” He said, but it all sounded like a question. 

“Yes, we can do that...” Harry said, and they both turned to walk after their friends. 

“I don’t know what I’m going to say to you.” Louis started off by saying, “This may sound strange to everybody else, but I don’t know how to start and hold a conversation with you.” 

“I heard what you said to Luke.” The Alpha said, not knowing how to start other than being honest. 

“Figured.” 

“I would just like to apologise.” 

Louis quit walking and looked at the man with his mouth slightly open. It was comical. 

“Wh...” 

Wait, allow me to finish. Otherwise, we’re going to fight and we’re not going to get anywhere.” Harry jokingly said that, but it was true. It was how it always happened. 

Louis nodded his head and started working again. Eyes glued to footprints left on wet sand, as he tried to fit his own feet there without making any new ones. 

“I’m an asshole, but I’m not,” Harry said, and the Omega looked up with an odd look on his face that made the Alpha chuckle and shake his head to gather his thoughts. 

I mean, I’m an asshole to you, I always do the best I can to treat you wrong and you don’t deserve it. But I am not an asshole in general, and my mother raised me better than that. For that reason, I apologise.” 

“Okay, you made a mess out there, but I get it,” Louis said and went back to chasing footprints. 

“And It is hard on you as the Omega, I know that. But if it makes you feel any better, I just want you to know that it’s tough for me, too. My Alpha is restless whenever you are around and I don’t know how to tame it.” Harry confessed. 

“You know? I don’t need to know any of these to feel better. If anything, these things make me feel worse. What I really want to know is, why you are torturing both of us?” 

“I don’t wanna go there.” Harry snapped. Louis was taken aback by the sudden change. 

“Well, let’s get on with it.” He said stubbornly. 

“For fuck’s sake.” He grumbled and kicked a seashell out of his way. Why do they have to end up that way all the time? 

“Harry, I appreciate your apology, but we both know it’s short-lived.” 

“What do you mean?” The Alpha asked, offended. 

“I mean, if we don’t talk about it all, there’s no way we can act normally towards each other.” 

“And talk everything out, is telling you my life story?” He asked moodily. 

Louis sighed and turned to the Alpha; his voice desperate. 

“Harry, I don’t want to know anything that you’re not willing to tell me. I’m just trying to figure out what’s going on with you. All the conflicting signals are really hurtful to me.” Louis whispered. His voice wandered into the noise of the waves. 

Harry felt his throat shut, and the air getting punched out. 

“Louis...” 

“No, really. You know you broke my heart, and every time we talk, I get hurt more and more by all the nasty words you throw at my face. 

“I know you apologised, and I accepted it, but it is not that easy.” Louis’ eyes were sad, not breaking the eye contact for a second. “It is confusing.” 

“What is?” Harry knew, he just wanted to earn some time. 

“This.” The Omega pointed to both, “You keep telling me that you don’t care and that you don’t want me to be your soulmate, but suddenly jealousy and fighting starts again. And now you’re really gentle, and... it is all confusing.” 

Harry sighed, defeated. 

This is neither the right time nor the right place. Let me drop you off today and we can talk.” 

Louis felt like flying. 

They wordlessly marched towards their friends. Mood lighter.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=juw2nFJmb2o&ab_channel=AnitaZenelaj


	9. Now what?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey loves,  
> Here is a new chapter for you.  
> I hope you enjoy it. Sorry for any mistakes. Wrote it in a hurry. Felt strangely inspired.  
> Next will be Masterpiece. 😄

Louis was nervous, Harry was nervous, the trip home was bewildering and tense.

They left the beach without giving any attention to their friends, who were enjoying the day.

Luke was the only one whose smile left his face once Louis said Harry would give him a ride because he needed to get home earlier than he had hoped for.

Harry stopped and patiently waited for Louis to put both feet on the ground once they arrived at the Omega’s place. He watched as the boy started unclasping the helmet and a smile threatened to appear on his lips when he thought about how he didn’t need any help anymore.

Louis handed it to him and opened his mouth to ask him if he wanted to come up, but someone else was ahead of him.

“Louis?”

The two turned toward the parking spots, where Elias was standing next to his car. As always, he was dressed to impress.

Harry grunted, but Louis paid no mind.

“Elias, hey. What are you doing here?” He walked a bit closer to where the man was staying. He just wanted to ask if everything was alright and tell him he had a friend over that night. But the man leaned down to greet him with a kiss on his cheek and a hug which took Louis by surprise.

Pulling back, he heard a loud squeal and turned his head in time to catch the image of Harry’s motorbike taking a turn and disappearing in the dark.

Something shifted in his chest. He had been looking forward to their conversation. Based on what Harry would talk about, he would be able to understand if the little change in him was real or not.

“He’s your friend from the ball, isn’t he?” Elias nodded his head to where Harry had parked earlier.

Louis merely nodded his head, looking forward in the dark. His head was a mess, all sorts of thoughts flowing through his mind. All sorts of feelings filling his chest.

His Omega felt feeble; disappointment being the most overwhelming emotion.

Elias, being an Alpha, must have sensed it, because he placed his hand on Louis’ arm, his eyes expressing concern and gentleness. “Are you okay? Did I interrupt something?” He asked.

“Um, no, no, nothing... Not important.” Louis didn’t elaborate. He didn’t feel like it.

“Hm, sorry for coming over without letting you know, but I just was excited, and it totally slipped my mind.” Louis smiled at him politely. “A friend of mine is throwing a private party this evening. Just close friends and family, really.” There was not a question, but it was implied how much Elias wanted to be accompanied by Louis.

“Um, Elias, I am terribly sorry. I have a major project going on tomorrow. Really need to do some brainstorming tonight.”

Louis wanted to be as courteous as possible. Elias didn’t deserve to be lied to, but it was the right thing to do. This man’s intentions were pretty straightforward. Had been so for a long time, so he had to be careful not to lead him on or break his heart with anything he said.

The Alpha was sad and looked a bit worried too, but he accepted his defeat and went to enjoy his night, leaving Louis to his non-existent brainstorming and a glass full to the brim of red wine.

*******

It’s been almost two weeks since Louis last saw or talked to Harry. He had forced himself not to think or even ask his friends about him.

Elias, that night, had been more or less his escape to the truth.

If he wanted to continue to find excuses for not getting close to Louis, the Omega would make it easier for him. What made it worse for Louis was the fact that Harry was his Alpha, and there was no physical or mental way to get away from him. But he was determined to do the best he could.

That was why, three days later, that awful Thursday, the Omega felt like crying after Fionn crushed his walls to the ground.

“Louis, I am truly sorry. You have to forgive me. I would do that for you, for Niall, or for anyone else in need.” Fiona spoke with despair.

It was early morning and only a few staff members were sleepily roaming inside the building from office to office. Fionn was early because he needed to talk to Louis and he knew his friend would be here no matter what time; as usual.

“I have discussed this with Nova and she has already asked her own boss, but has not received any positive response. So, I thought to ask James. I knew if I told you in advance, you wouldn’t be on board, so I... did it?” Fionn was quick to point that out. “This company is enormous and Harry has a better chance of being employed here.”

Louis was taken aback by the news. He was trying to be tough, and he made sure he didn’t think of Harry. For what? So that Fionn and Nova, his two best friends, could destroy his hopes.

Be that as it may, he would not let anything change his mind. He smiled tight-lipped and grumbled “I don’t care” before turning towards the door.

“But you do, Louis. I know you do care, and I am really sorry to do that to you, but he is jobless, 25 and still living with his mother, with no plans for the future, without any plans for the future, without big dreams, because everything is limited by money.”

“I know, okay? And that’s why I’m not saying anything, because whoever he is or whatever he’s doing to me, everyone must have a better job, hence a better life.” Louis said, walking to his desk. The pile of paperwork over there was already giving him a headache.

“He doesn’t deserve you. We all know this, he knows this.” Fionn hugged his friend and stroked his fingers on his shoulders.

“If you keep this up, I will be asleep in a couple of minutes.” Louis chuckled, pulling back. “So, you think that’s why my father requested a meeting with us, as soon as everybody is present?”

“I don’t think so. Harry could work as a photocopy guy for every office, for all I know.” Fionn responded by picking up a file and perusing the pages.

“What did my father say when you talked to him about it?” Louis was asking for too much information for not being interested.

“Well, you are both cut from the same cloth, Louis. For a moment there, I thought I was talking to you.” Fionn chuckled. “He asked me why I avoided human resources and went straight to him, and once I told him about Harry, he said he was going to do something to find him a job. He gave me a long lesson on how it would be preferable for him to look elsewhere, given our close relationship and everything else.”

“Typical dad.” Louis smiled, “He probably sat down with the HR team as soon as you left the office.”

“Yes, he just doesn’t want to appear to be spoiling us.” Both friends laughed.

“How could he not, though; we are his best employees.” Louis dared to joke, despite his heart beating like crazy.

* * *

Later that morning, Louis and his team made their way to James' office, two floors above them.  
They all knew what was up, why they were called for the meeting, but no one of them was nervous or worried about anything.

Of course, they checked with Louis and as soon as he confirmed that everything was alright, they just forgot about it. Louis could even say that they were delighted for Harry to be joining the staff.

He was just hoping his father would have found the Alpha a job that wouldn't have to cross his way often.

Liam knocked on the heavy, fancy door and as soon as they were allowed in, Liam, ever the gentleman, opened the door and motioned for Louis and Niall to enter first. Fionn attempted to step in first, but he was denied by Liam with a sharp slap on his forehead.

They all started laughing at the loud noise the contact made and at Fionn's shocked face.

To Louis, his father's office was nothing like he remembers when he was little. He feels it as way too formal as he was grown. But when his friends would be their noisy, messy selves, he would always blend in, formality be damned.

They were all still laughing when Liam closed the door.

"I am happy you are laughing at this hour. Should I assume you don't have much to do today?" James said with a smile.

Louis was the first who wanted to start whining about their overloading, but as soon as he pushed Fionn's annoying hand from his shoulder and turned to look at his father, he stopped. Even the laughing dropped.

Harry was sitting there, with a mug in his hands and a small smile on his face.

He was wearing a black shirt with three first buttons undone, combined with a pair of tight pants; dark with red and white square pattern.

He looked beautiful.

Louis wasn't expecting him to be there. He thought that they would just discuss it with his father and that would be it.

The green eyes winked at the rest of the boys and in the end, stayed glued to the Omega's face.

Was he searching for any sign of discomfort? Maybe he was not sure if Louis wanted him there or not.

Then again, it is not as if he would be worried about what Louis is and is not thinking. He broke his promise on sorting things out with Louis, that night, without remorse.

The overwhelming aroma of fresh oranges that had filled the room, though, was not helping his case.

"Like hell we are," Niall answered and went to hug Harry, followed but the other two. What? Why would they do it? It was not as if they were best friends or anything.

"Hey, man." Fionn clapped him on the back. "Alright?"

"Yes, all good." The Alpha's deep voice was always there to make Louis weak. But Louis had promised himself that he would be stronger than that.

He offered his hand for the Alpha to shake, without raising his eyes. His big hand was warm, but he pulled it back faster than he should have.

All sat around the small coffee table, their attention at what James would say.

"How are you, boys? I should gather you lot here often, just to ask how you are doing." The boss chuckled, and they all followed.

"We are doing well, James. Thank you." Fionn answered.

"How are the projects? I don't see you around a lot. If the statistics for your department wouldn't be changing overnight, for the better, I would think you are just taking time off without me knowing."

"We would never," Liam said in a scandalized tone, making everyone laugh.

"I know you would not," James replied and clapped his hands in front of him, signalling that it was about to start. "So, as you all know, this lovely guy here is Harry Styles. Fionn brought him to my attention yesterday."

Louis didn't throw a single glance at the man's direction. Acting uninterested would be easier to fool his Omega.

"I know you guys have a lot to do, so I am not going to keep you away for long. I have checked with Mia, from human resources, and we decided that we really need an administrative assistant."

We do?

"Thank you very much. I know you might not really need one, but I really appreciate it." Harry spoke ever so slowly. "It means so much."

"Alright, boy. These four guys are my children. If they think someone is good enough to recommend to me, then I won't think it twice." James said.

Louis was anxious. He wanted to know more.

"So, which department?" He asked his father. He wanted to get it over with. The smell was blocking all his senses.

"Interior design."

Just then he noticed the pressure in the room. His friends were fidgeting in their seats, worried about Louis.

"Not... Not that I have anything to complain, but... Do we need an assistant?" He asked.

Niall, that was closer to him, placed his hand on his thigh. But nothing would comfort him with those green eyes staring at him. He could feel them in his face.

"Don't you guys think I have not noticed the number of projects we are getting? You are the last to leave the building every day, and I think that Harry can do a lot there." James took a sip from his mug. "I mean no offense, Harry sorry, but your CV is not the best we have received."

The Alpha nodded and mumbled a "None taken. I am aware."

"So working with these boys, will help you grow. Except for emails, phone calls and the lot, you can also help with scheduling, deadlines, and even organise a bit the client meetings. We have to work with quite a few assholes who don't like being on hold, so this kind of organising would help the boys."

The thing was that it was a great idea, and no one had thought about that sooner.

"In fact, it would help a lot, this is true," Liam spoke, and Louis didn't miss the not-so-subtle glances he threw in Louis' direction, as if wanting to make sure they all were on the same page.

"Perfect, it is all set then. Louis?" James had been looking at his son as well. The quietness was unusual.

"Yes?" The Omega turned his head to look at his father, whose eyes were showing concern.

"Everything okay, son? You are too quiet today."

"Sorry, I am good. Just tired today." He rushed to explain.

"What's the plan for today and tomorrow?"

James liked to be kept in the loop, Louis had always thought that his father had a secret love for designing, so he usually made sure to explain in detail.

"Well, we have a lot to do, actually. This week Liam was in charge of creating the timeline for the new project; will also estimate its costs. So, another busy day slash week ahead." Louis winked to his friend, who rolled his eyes.

"Yeah, can't wait." He sassed back.

"Fionn will specify the materials left. I think only lighting, furniture and plumbing fixtures?" The Omega asked, leaning a bit forward to look where his friend was sitting.

"Flooring," Fionn added, nodding his head.

"Yes, that too. Then, Niall has been placing the orders for the materials that are needed. Oh, and Ni, If you will have some time to spare tomorrow, maybe you should jump to ordering the furnishings for Elias' friend."

They all groaned, including James, and then laughed at the exaggerated reaction.

"I had forgotten about that fucker." The boss said.

"Me too." Niall whined, "Thank God Louis didn't."

"Well, Elias won't let me forget even if I wanted to."

He caught a small chuckle from Harry and he knew it was sarcastic, but he chose to ignore it.

"Well, you see, this is what Harry will help you with. So no forgetting anything now." The boss smiled at them, then motioned for Louis to go on.

"Yes, so, I will oversee the constructions today and sit with the clients tomorrow to discuss the fees and budget. But I would gladly exchange this part." He smiled at his friends, who acted as if they were not listening.

"Okay then, all seems perfect. Harry will be officially joining you on Monday." He announced, then turned to the Alpha. "It would be good if you come by tomorrow just to get an idea of where and what you will do. I am sure the boys are happy to help."

For sure, Louis would be the happiest to help.


	10. I wanna be yours

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hope you enjoy it  
> Xx

Harry noted that a particular aspect of that team was that each of them had their own areas to cover; shared according to their expertise.

Meaning that they were all comfortable in what they were required to do on a daily basis, although when on a tight schedule, they had to do just about everything.

“... For instance, Liam and Niall are our top commercial interior designers, while Louis and I love residential design better. But this doesn’t mean we don’t switch, or help each other when projects keep coming in,” Fionn explained.

“Okay,” Harry nodded his head.

Both had arrived at the office earlier; Fionn gave him a quick tour and helped him to settle down before everyone rushed in.

He was trying to start things right. So, the day before, he had asked Fionn to accompany him, as he would give him more information about the functioning of things. It would be difficult enough with Louis there non-stop, and even more, if he would be left alone all day to figure things out for himself.

He’d look like a chump.

“So, concretely, you will be the bridge between us and customers slash suppliers slash delivers. Phone calls, emails, scheduling appointments and meetings...”

“All the great stuff.” Harry nodded as he sat in his very comfortable chair for the first time.

“All the great stuff,” Fionn confirmed, sitting on his desk, “Nothing to worry about. Aside from that, all of us are here to help; all you have to do is find the right moment to ask the question.” He joked.

“Honestly, mate, I don’t even have the words to start thanking you.” Harry looked up at him.

“You have already done that; countless times.” He patted his friend’s hand. “You would have done the same thing.”

“Yeah, I just... Last night, I couldn’t even sleep thinking about the whole thing. And- did he get angry? Or annoyed?”

“James?”

Fionn knew exactly what he was asking, just enjoyed making him suffer.

“Louis,” He said and looked anywhere but at him. The office was beautiful; it was large and resembled the ones from the movies. Furnished with black furniture, the white walls and large windows created an attractive contrast.

On his desk, Louis had a small vase with fresh sunflowers and a small wooden cube with his name written in neon.

The rest of the guys had beautiful table calendars or to-do-lists. Fionn also had Nova's picture on his desk.

There were plants under the windows and two beautiful paintings on the wall.

The chairs were comfortable, and the black leather was not harsh or noisy when sitting.

“He didn’t. Just surprised.” Fionn got his attention.

“Well, I don’t want to...”

“Good morning.” A very messy head peeked through the door.

Fionn smiled, “Good morning, Elias. Alright?”

“Yes, all good.” His eyes lingered a little when he noticed Harry behind the huge monitor, but gave him a small nod nonetheless, before looking back Fionn’s way. “Lou hasn’t arrived yet, I see.”

_Lou! Ha, nice, nice..._

“Nope. Won’t be long. He said he would be here shortly for last-minute brainstorming.”

“New client?” He winked, knowing just how annoying it was for the boys when new clients seemed to appear whenever they were the busiest.

“More like, old client, new project.” Fionn groaned.

“You will do it. You lot are like machines.” Elias smiled.

“Now we are five, which makes it way easier. Harry is our brand-new assistant.” Fionn grinned, then looked from one Alpha to another, “You guys know each other, don’t you?”

Harry gave a tight-lipped smile. “Yes, we have met before.”

Elias watched him longer than necessary, his eyes narrowed, “Yes. Right, so can you please let Lou know that I would like to talk to him real quick, once he is here?”

“Sure.” Fionn replies and Elias leaves the office with a small wave.

Harry thought Fionn had something on his mind, but none of them said anything, just spoke a little more about how specific things worked until Niall and Liam bust inside holding a paper drink carrier.

“Good morning.” Niall greeted grumpily, and sat down on Harry’s desk, beside Fionn, pushing a few notebooks away.

Liam handed each of them a hot cup of coffee and left another cup inside the carrier. “And here is Louis’ tea, for when he comes later.” He mumbled. “Good morning, lads.”

After the greetings, laughter and coffee, they started asking and responding to all of Harry’s questions. That until Louis walked in.

It was bizarre how the sweet aroma of freshly picked oranges and citrus filled the room as soon as he closed the door behind.

Wearing the skinniest black jeans and a short-sleeved Givenchy shirt, he looked like sin. From the looks of it, he had taken his sweet time on his hair.

Harry had no idea how he would resist breaking his promise, what with being all day long in his presence.

And watching Elias’ mouth water. Not that he had a right to complain, anyway.

“Good morning, happy team,” Louis smiled, glancing at all of them. His eyes didn’t twinkle for the quick second they scanned Harry’s form. It was the same look he gave his friends, and that stirred something in the Alpha’s chest. Nevertheless, he rejected the thought and joined the rest, greeting back.

“Yeah, right. Happy." Niall said, having a big sip of coffee.

“What’s up, Nialler?”

“Aaron is visiting his family, and Niall can't join him because of the new projects. As a result, he behaves like a grumpy baby." Liam informed, rolling his eyes.

“Fuck you.” Niall threw one of Harry’s notebooks at him.

“But what would Aaron say?” Liam laughed.

"Throwing my stuff is not nice, Niall," Harry said smiley, and that drew Louis's attention for a bit. He looked at him briefly and smiled a little.

“Welcome to our messed-up office, Harry."

It was clear that he was striving to remain somewhere between welcoming and friendly.

“Thank you." Harry nodded her head. He did not smile, nor say anything else, too confused about Louis's new behaviour.

He appeared to have exercised his, kind of, neutral voice and the way he would act in the Alpha's presence. It stung a bit, although it shouldn't.

“We will try to take it easy on you for the first week, but if you will have questions, we will all help.” The Omega said while going around his desk and gathering some papers and highlighters, putting them where they belonged.

They all kept saying that he was free to ask and that they would all help, it was a huge relief, but the Alpha was not sure if he would ever go to Louis to ask something.

“Thank you, will do.” He mumbled, raising an eyebrow that Louis ignored and turned to his things.

“Okay, who is ready to start the day?” He asked.

“We are not, but we will either way,” Liam said and went to give Louis his cup of tea. “It's your favourite.”

“Liam,” Louis moaned and pinched the Alpha's cheek. “You big soft Teddy bear.”

“Yeah, yeah.”

Harry once again ignored his thoughts and turned his attention to the desktop. Fionn had provided him with an email address that he needed to contact about them wanting to reschedule Wednesday's meeting.

He already had his own work email created and ready to go.

“Very well, then,” Louis stood in front of the whiteboard and started writing. “There will be a lot to do over the next few days. Let's plan the week in advance. It will also give Harry a sense of what to expect and where to begin.”

The petite Omega's stance screamed power.

It was inspirational and beautiful to look at. Harry was surprised by the way everyone listened attentively, nodding and taking notes. There were quite a few names mentioned that Harry assumed were their clients or suppliers, but he was aware that it was too early for him to catch up.

He couldn’t take his eyes away off of Louis. His body, his face, the way his lips moved and the little frown when concentrating. The small laugh when Niall made silly comments, and the briefest of glances that he threw Harry’s way.

For a second, he felt suffocated by Louis’ smell, his pretty face and his voice echoing in the room.

“Yes, so maybe our lovely assistant can help you with this.” Said Liam, and that pulled Harry out of his head.

They were all watching him, and he was watching Louis.

“Uh, yes. Sure...” He stared at Fionn, who had a smirk and his eyebrows raised. “What am I supposed-how?”

Fionn laughed and winked, "I'm going to explain."

“Okay.”

A half hour later, they finished planning and organizing, and that's when Elias knocked and walked in, with a big smile attached to his face as soon as he saw Louis.

“Oh, yes.” Fionn chuckled, “Lou, Elias wants to talk to you.”

Elias laughed, “Well, cheers.” Then he went straight to Louis’ desk and sat in the chair in front of him. “Good morning, Lou.”

The Omega lifted his eyes off the keyboard, smiling gently. “Good morning. Looking for me?” His voice was low and gentle, as if he didn’t want anyone else to hear.

Harry scoffed. It would be significantly more difficult than he had thought. And the thing was, Louis wasn’t even glancing his way. No signs of provocation or attention-seeking.

He was just talking with him, smiley and sweet, and the boys seemed accustomed to it, like none of them cared. Niall was typing on his keyboard, Liam adding something among Louis’ list on the whiteboard, and Fionn was just going through some papers.

He totally hated it.

“When am I not?” The Alpha replied just as gently.

“True that.” Louis chuckled and crossed his on top of his desk, leaning a bit forward. “So?”

The Alpha imitated him, also leaning forward and brought his hand to touch one of the petals of a sunflower. “Those need to be replaced.”

“I will, soon.” The Omega smiled.

“I can.” Elias volunteered.

“Thank you, but I don’t let anyone mess with my flowers.” He winked. “So?”

Harry had to type that fucking e-mail. He had to postpone the meeting.

_Quit staring at them. Do your bloody job._

“Ah yes, Joe called.” Elias chuckled, but once he heard the groans of the team, he started laughing with his head in his hands.

Harry hated that more. The fact that they were so accustomed to one another. A closed circle, all of them.

“And you had to remind us? Keep it to yourself, man." Fionn spoke from his desk.

“Sorry, sorry, I know, it's just that he keeps asking and..."

“It’s all good, really.” It was Louis who interrupted him with a hand on top of his.

Harry focused on his own thing and typed ‘Greetings,” at the top of the e-mail. He closed his eyes and tried to not let the voices distract him. Trying to think of all the polite and formal words to link together.

“I will find time today to visit his house; will add it to my diary,” Louis said, still smiling.

No matter how hard Harry tried, he just couldn’t tear his eyes away from him. It was physically and mentally impossible. At that point, if an outsider walked in, they would never believe that Louis and Harry were soulmates. He knows it’s all his fault, but he’s going to do whatever he can not to break the promise. He would be happy if Louis found himself a kind man, as Elias seems to be.

He looked up when someone blocked his view. Fionn, of course.

“How are you doing?” He asked, and it was soft-spoken.

“Okay, trying to write the email,” Harry muttered.

“No need to get into specifics. Mr Daniels is one of our former clients and he knows how things work, so he won’t mind it.”

Harry nodded and got back to typing.

“So, about earlier; since you still don’t have a lot of work to do, because the next few weeks are already planned and everything is scheduled, what do you say about helping us around a bit?” Fionn sat on the desk again, and he continued blocking Louis and Elias.

“Is it going to be fun?” He asked. The smile did not reach his eyes, nor did it bring out any dimples.

“Since you will have no responsibilities whatsoever, yes, it will be all fun for you. But we might not be that entertaining.” He chuckled.

“Deal.”

“I guess you weren’t paying attention earlier, but today you’re going to start with Louis.”

The Alpha raised his eyebrows in disbelief.

“I know, but he’s going to need help in the warehouse, so it would be nice if you could help him out.”

“Hm, okay….”

Harry heard Louis’ laughter, and he frowned deeper. The grip on his chest kept tightening.

“Now you’re a member of the team. Things have got to change.”

Harry nodded and showed him his email, just to check if everything was as expected; if it was too formal or he had missed any punctuation.

Turns out the email was perfect, and before Fionn turned to his own spot. Harry grasped his arm and quietly said, “Just out of curiosity... are they together, or?”

Harry, you shouldn’t be asking me about that. And I don’t have to respond to anything that comes from his personal life.” While Harry nodded his head in understanding, his friend sighed, “Come on, man. It’s been two weeks since we were all together at mine, and he was all sad about your love bites. How does anyone move on and forget that easily? Keep in mind that no matter how hard you try to fight it, you are soulmates. And looking at this now,” Fionn nodded his head toward Louis’ desk, “Is killing both, you and him.”

That being said, he went to his colourful folders and pens, while Harry tried to block all conversations around him and focus on the rest of the e-mail.

*******

As the first day, Harry had a lot to do.

He got emails forwarded to, the phone calls started, and four meetings were already scheduled. He didn't have much to ask other people because, thankfully, everything was going well.

It was Liam who went out and brought them lunch, which they ate at the office while they kept working.

It was obviously, one of their busiest weeks, but he did not mind. He was used to working around the clock. The only difference was that he would earn significantly more than his previous jobs; which was difficult to wrap his head around.

As the afternoon rolled around, Louis announced that he would have to go to the warehouse. Harry could tell he was nervous when he approached his desk, “You will come with me, won't you?”

It was weird to see him in its element all day, and that nervous in front of the Alpha. It was like they were on their own; alone.

“If you need me, I will, of course.”

_Damn it. Couldn’t you find another way to say it?_

The Omega twisted his hands a little, looking at him.  
“There will be Mark, our inventory manager and Erin, our newest intern, but they today they will be bringing in new stuff, so I am not sure they will have time to help me.”

He took a deep breath then added, “Of course, I can do it on my own, but it will be done faster if...”

“I have no problem with that." He cut Louis off, giving a small smile.

“Oh, okay. Great, then.”

* * *

Both bid their goodbyes to their friends, got their things and made their way out of the building. The small space in the lift was filled with tension, but they did their best to ignore it. As they walked through the lobby, Louis returned every ‘Hi’ and ‘Goodbye’ meanwhile Harry walked with his hands in fists and a stoic face.

Out of the glass doors, Louis mumbled a small ‘this way’ and Harry walked beside him until they reached the parking lot.

All of a sudden, the Omega seemed a little timid as he rounded the car.

Well, they lived in modern times, Alphas, Omegas and Betas had equal rights, but their second gender still played an enormous role in relationships and daily life.

In that case, Louis knew how Harry had been struggling to pay his bills and Louis driving his brand-new Range Rover felt as if he was rubbing his wealth in the Alpha’s face.

And he was an Omega.

_His soulmate._

_The realisation hit him straight in the face. Was that what Harry had meant the whole time? Was only wall separating them?_

Or was it...

“Are we ready to go?” The alpha asked the moment he put on his seatbelt. Louis had yet to put his on and start the car.

“Yes, yes, ready.”

He started driving, and out of the corner of his eye, he could see the Alpha relax in his seat. Back and neck fully rested, and long limbs stretched forward, wide open. Louis swallowed and glanced back at the road, but he couldn’t concentrate.

The rhythmical tap of the Alpha’s fingers at his knee following the music coming from the speakers.

_If you like your coffee hot_  
_Let me be your coffee pot_  
_You call the shots, babe_  
_I just wanna be yours_

_Secrets I have held in my heart_  
_Are harder to hide than I thought_  
…

And ‘Arctic Monkeys’ was there to embarrass him.

Don’t get Louis wrong, they were their favourite band, but that song, at that moment, only added to the tension.

Nothing would be easy to ignore anymore.  
He had to figure out other ways to do it.


	11. Darkness, quietness & You and I

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This one is a bit longer than usual.  
> I enjoyed writing it. Hope you like it.
> 
> Stay safe  
> Xx

As Harry walked around the warehouse, he understood why shippers had to bring furniture and all other items to the warehouse first. Because they were carried with enormous wooden boxes.

They had to ship them to the warehouse where a lot of work was done, after that, with the opening of the boxes and the organisation.

It was where all the preparation for an upcoming project happened.

Apparently, it was one of those days because there were more people around that Louis had previously mentioned. All running, unpacking and processing the items upon arrival with inventory description and tagging with identification codes.

Louis stopped for a chat with one of the guys. We gave him some papers and a pen, and Harry figured he probably needed to sign something.

He decided to give himself a tour around the place.

Seemingly he was in a kind of accessory room because there were high shelves filled with all sorts of items. Bathroom wooden accessories, fake flowers, vases, lots of white, black and rose gold useless stuff.

“Sorry, I had to go through something with them.” Louis came to the 'room' and stood beside him, looking at the metal shelf that had a small “New” label on it.

“No worries. What’s up with all those useless items?” He asked, touching a ceramic ornament that resembled a frog.

Louis chuckled, approaching to inspect it as well. “Well, they add life to the space, Harry.”

“Isn’t me breathing in the house life enough?” He joked, wanting to make the boy laugh.

Louis giggled and turned to inspect the rest of the things.

"I thought the suppliers had to send the furniture directly to the residence or building you are working on." He said, looking around. Everything was separated into groups depending on the type.

“No, it is impossible to do. Suppliers ship in bulk and we need to organise everything here first,” he said, inspecting a different group of items from the same shelf. “Here we brainstorm, pick up what we need, pack, take them to the trucks that are waiting at the back and send them to the property.”

“It sounds like a pretty exhausting process.” The Alpha commented.

“It is indeed. I am glad for the great team I have. Everyone works hard. The guys here at the warehouse, the others at the office, everyone.”

“Great. So, what do we do today?” Harry asked, curious about how he could help them. It wasn’t that he couldn’t help them with whatever they needed, but he just didn’t want to mess up or break anything.

“Yes, so we need to prepare for one of the projects, which is rather urgent. What we need to do is, check if everything that we need is here and take notes is something is missing.

The Omega handed Louis one of the papers he had in his hands.

“Here is the list. The project is quite big, so you have a lot in there. Now I've given you the list of big furniture, which is easier to find, and I'll check the small pieces and ornaments.”

“Just mark what I can find?” He double-checked.

“Yes. Just please, be attentive of the colour, size and fabric type. It needs to be as described in the checklist. Each item has a description tag.” Louis smiled at him, which Harry stared at longer than necessary.

“Okay. Starting, then.” He turned around and started working.

Harry was pretty sure that Louis' list was longer and objects much more difficult to find, but he still managed to finish much earlier than Harry.

They had been going around for more than one hour. Watch out for employees who kept running and carrying heavy things, Harry sighed and crossed out the blue chair he was looking for in the list.

“There is no blue chair around here,” he said as Louis approached.

“What do you mean? It is supposed to be here.”

“Well, I searched everywhere for it, and it’s not.”

Louis walked away from the room for two minutes and came back with a heavy chair in his hands. It was blue. The fabric velvet. It was the one described in the checklist.

“Where did you find that?” Harry asked. His mouth wide open in surprise.

Louis shook his head. He had a smile on his face, though.

“Don’t worry about it. You are new in all this. Other than that, it is still your first day of work. I have been around here for as long as I can remember.”

Harry would have still liked to find it himself, though.

They went over the other twenty-five items that Harry had crossed out and managed to find all of them.

“I feel like a fool,” Harry said once they were inside Louis' car.

“Don't. I am really surprised you could find that many. You know, Niall can’t even find ten articles without giving up twice. This is why he insists on taking the most difficult tasks at the office instead.”

Harry chuckled, “He is a nice guy though. Anyway, I can fill in for him at the warehouse. I'm going to improve with a little more practice," He joked.

Louis started driving, and that time the music didn’t make him uncomfortable. He had previously questioned it, but the work with Harry had gone well. He had been concentrated and determined to complete the entire list himself, without any assistance.

It came as a surprise to Louis.

“Are we going back to the office?” The Alpha asked.

“No need. Everyone should be heading home now.” Louis said, checking his watch. “I can drop you off at yours. We don’t live far from each other.”

“If you don’t mind.”

“Not at al...” he was interrupted by his phone. Liam’s name flashed on the screen on the display.

Louis accepted the call.

“Hey, Liam, what’s up?”

“Hey, Lou. I just left to go home, and lover boy asked if you were around. Wanted to check if you would be able to go to his friend’s residence.”

Louis’ head snapped to Harry, for some reason. The Alpha had his eyes facing forward and his jaw closed tight.

“Um, yeah. I'll go there later today. Thanks, Li.” Louis said awkwardly.

“Super. How did it go in the warehouse?” Liam said, and they heard a noise. Probably on his way home.

“Yes, all good. We actually finished checking pretty fast. Everything okay on your side?” Louis tried, throwing a glance Harry’s way. He was still staring ahead.

“Perfect.”

“Great, then. I will see you tomorrow Li.”

“Of course, see you. And be careful; you know I don’t trust him that the much.”

Louis tried laughing it off, “Sure.”

They hung up, and then there was complete silence in the car.

The Alpha took a deep breath and Louis knew he was about to say something. Probably something that he wouldn’t want to hear. This would make things worse for them.

However, he turned his attention to the road and waited.

"Louis, I know where we stand, okay? I know how messed up our situation is, and I am certain we all know I brought us here. That doesn’t mean I don’t want what’s best for you or that I don’t care, though.”

Louis was doing his best to stay focused. He kind of wanted to pull up, so he could listen carefully since he had finally been given a chance to listen to Harry's explanations and thoughts.

“Okay?” He said, making it sound more like a question. Probably that would push the Alpha to continue further.

“What’s up with that man? Elias.”

“Yes, what’s up with him?” Louis raised his eyebrow.

I remember the evening I came to get you and the others from the pub. Everyone was complaining about him and worried about you. And now Liam told you to be careful." Harry turned his head and looked him straight in the eye. "I also saw how he behaved around you today. He made you laugh and acted all sugary sweet, but it struck me as a little obsessive if I am being honest.”

Louis snapped his head toward him for the second time. His mouth slightly open to his words.

"Don't get me wrong." The Alpha put up both hands when the Omega was going to oppose it. "I'm not calling him a bad guy. I don’t know him; I can’t say anything. It's just that he's always around you, no matter what time of day. Or night!" He emphasised the last word, reminding Louis that he was talking about the night he accompanied the Omega home. “He always comes to you, buying flowers and designing clothes..."

“Hey, now.” Louis interrupted him. He took a sharp turn and stopped in the parking lot near his place. Not where they're going, but since Harry started, he better not make excuses and run like he always had.

He parked, turned off the music and completely turned around to face Harry.

The Alpha unbuckled his seatbelt and faced him as well. He was waiting for him to say what he started. His toned arms crossed tightly to his chest.

_Don’t get distracted, Louis!_

“No, no, you know what? Say whatever's in your head. It's not often that I get to hear that.” He said and crossed his arms as well.

“Well, I don’t have anything else to say. It's just that this obsession of a powerful Alpha with an unmated Omega is dangerous." He ended up with a raised brow as if he was challenging Louis.

“Did you really say that?” Louis’ mouth couldn’t get any wider.

“Say what?”

So, he was acting as though he could not understand what he had just said.

“This Omega here has an asshole of a soulmate, who is sitting right in front of him, trying to rub the fact that he doesn’t want him, in his face,” Louis said incredulously. “It hurts my ego and it brings all the walls down when I say it, but being unmated was not his choice. He just wasn’t given a single chance from the start. He wasn’t accepted by his asshole soulmate, and now this asshole soulmate stays in front of him, acting as if he was worried.” Louis spoke, never breaking the eye contact.

_Confidence. Go for confidence!_

"As a matter of fact, he is not worried, but jealous. The asshole soulmate.” Louis added and rested his back on the driver’s door. Still facing Harry, still maintaining eye contact.

Harry’s eyebrows were still up in challenge, but his lips were showing clear signs of amusement.

“I get it, I am the asshole soulmate. It’s not like I wasn’t aware of that, already. And this is not jealousy, don’t get confused. I really care about you.”

Louis glared at him.

“But you were snappy with your friend, Luke. And now you are trying to scare me off of Elias.” Louis cooked his head to prove his point. “This is jealousy, even if you can’t accept or believe it. Get it in your thick skull, soulmates can’t ignore each other. It is impossible not to feel any emotion." The Omega spoke slowly as if explaining it to a child.

“Maybe. Does this mean you're jealous of me as well?” He smirked.

“I know you are being difficult on purpose. From everything I was talking about, you go ahead and ask the stupidest of questions?” Louis mumbled.

They were inside his car, silence and darkness surrounding them. Talking about nonsense.

“Just answer me.” Harry narrowed his eyes. His green orbs glittering in the dark. “Were you jealous that day, at Fionn's house?”

Louis’ face grew even more serious. Finally breaking the eye contact.

“That was different. I wasn’t jealous, I was hurt.”

Harry’s smirk fell as did the little stars in his eyes. He reached forward and lifted Louis' head by touching his chin.

“I am sorry.” He whispered.

The Omega felt it. The sincerity behind his apology. The fingers under his chin were slightly shaky, and he felt comforted, knowing that he was not the one of the two to feel everything the other didn’t. He nodded and Harry removed his hand.

“Elias, he can be too much at times, but I have known him since I started going to my father’s company. About seven years ago. He is a good man; I don’t feel unsafe or in danger around him.”

It was the Alpha's turn to nod.

Louis was still trying to avoid looking at him as if he was ashamed of what he was feeling. As if he felt stupid for wanting someone who kept refusing him.

So, Harry took a deep breath and rested his back against the door as well, distancing them a little further.

“Have you heard of Charles Styles?" he asked as he looked at the beautiful leather of the seats.

Louis chuckled, not sure where this question came from. “Who doesn’t?”

“Yes. Who doesn’t know the famous, multimillionaire actor, right?” He laughed humourlessly.

“Why are we talking about him?”

“He is my biological father,” Harry stated uninterested.

Louis, however, leaned forward, searching for Harry's eyes in enormous surprise. He reached out a hand to cover his mouth, stunned. “What?”

“He met my mother when he was 27 years old and mum only nineteen. She thought it was true love.” Harry spoke, looking somewhere in the distance. All he did was look briefly at Louis to see how he reacted. The boy was still in shock; he listened with his eyes wide open and his head tilted. “When they met, he was already becoming famous, because of the success of a movie he was performing. Mum thought they were soulmates, but he left when I was four months old because he couldn't handle family life. Not when he could be out there, having fun and stocking money. A family would frame his career and we would prevent him from all the good things that came along with being famous.”

Louis couldn't believe it. He could not believe that Harry was finally providing him with this little but important information about him. Finally allowing Louis in.

He had always been a fan of Charles Styles. He was fun and extremely talented. But how could he do such a thing to his family?

“Harry, I am so sorry this has happened to you and your mother,” Louis mumbled, but he wanted to hug him instead, so he wouldn't have to come up with words that couldn't make it to his mind at that moment.

“It’s okay.”

“Is this why you don’t trust me?” He tried to whisper. Inside the car, the words echoed.

Harry raised his head and looked at him. His eyebrows were furrowed and he had this sort of look in his eyes.

He studied Louis’ face for a while, then chuckled.

“Louis, have you ever loved someone?”

This was the dumbest question. It was bright as day that Louis had feelings for him. Maybe he couldn't refer to it as crazy love yet, but there was something. Butterflies in his tummy, goosebumps whenever he talked, sleepless nights thinking about him... The usual.

He didn’t answer, though; just shook his head.

"Of course not." The Alpha shook his head, "I simply do not understand why you continue..." He stopped talking and raised his hand when Louis was getting ready to cut in. “I have loved someone. Her name was Anna.”

Oh, they were bringing that up now. Louis braced himself for what was to come.

“I can say I loved her more than I could ever love myself.” He avoided looking at the Omega, “We met at the garage where I have been working for as long as I can remember. She was such a nice person, you know? Learned, beautiful, calm... And I should have known we wouldn’t be the best match, but I still had high hopes.”

Louis was on the brink of tears. He knew that everyone had a past, but it was always difficult to listen to someone you like, talk like that about someone else. Harry probably sensed the change in scent, because he took a deep breath and shortened the story.

“We would go out together, I would invite her to my house, where my mum and Gemma were. We used to hang out in my room mostly, which she didn't like that much, by the way. And she would invite me to hers. A huge house all for her. We could stay anywhere and it would be private, no interruptions.

She would come to me at work, where I couldn't even hold her in my arms because of the dark grease on my hands and clothes, and sometimes I would go to hers. The shiny floors and window walls too different from what I was used to...”

Louis listened, and he wanted it all. The dirty hands, stained clothes, dinners with his mother and sister, quiet kisses in his bedroom. He wanted Harry in any form. At the office or the garage. He just wanted him.

Still, he didn’t make a noise. Only listened, while playing with his fingers on his lap.

“We were together for two years. Then she decided that being with me had made her realize that that was not what she wanted in the future. That our dreams and wishes were different and that she could not imagine going any further with an unforeseen future. I couldn't foresee the future, Louis. I didn't have any money saved- I just couldn't plan my future. Our future."

Harry’s eyes held no sadness. They were just kind of gloomy. His face showing no signs of irritation, of annoyance. He was sharing a story with Louis. His story. Unaffected.

“Two months later she got engaged to her best friend.” Louis gasped- loudly. But Harry started laughing. And it was not bitter or sarcastic. It was a real laugh at Louis’ reaction. “Hey don’t worry. At least she thanked me for my time.”

He laughed too. But as suddenly as it started, it died down.

Louis’ eyes were misty when he looked at the man again. He felt as if he had experienced the whole thing himself. He had a knot forming at his throat, not giving him a chance to breathe properly without a sob escaping his lips.

"No, it's really fucked up. I am sorry this has happened to you. Nobody deserves this; continuing to be let down. No one. I’m sorry...”

Without thinking twice, the Omega threw himself forward, and Harry was there to catch him. Their arms just holding tight on one another.

Louis took a chance and backed away a little. He would use the darkness and tranquillity as an excuse, later, but none of them was the real reason for the kiss. He placed his lips on the Alpha’s and breathed deeply through his nose. A necessary air rush. Filling his lungs with the freshness of it.

Harry, stroked the base of his neck but didn’t move his lips to deepen or control the kiss. They just remained like that. Unmoving; foreheads and lips touching. Breathing each other in.

“I am sorry, I am doing the same to you.”

And they stayed the same way until...

Louis's phone went off, and in the dark, Elias' name was easy to read on the screen.

Louis cleared his throat and pulled back. He answered.

“Hey... yes, actually I am not home.”

Louis did not look at Harry and there was no sound or sign from him, as well.

“I'm sorry, I know I promised, but it's quite late and something unexpected came up." From the corner of the eye, he could see Harry's fist loosening.

“I will make sure to send Niall tomorrow. He is better at it than I am.” He chuckled uncomfortably, “Will be done tomorrow morning. Sure... Good night.”

He hung up and started the car without looking at Harry again.

**Author's Note:**

> Come Say Hello: [Instagram](https://www.instagram.com/anita_zenelaj/) 🌻🌻  
> [Tumblr 💙💚](http://louisismuqueen.tumblr.com/)  
> Make sure to read: 
> 
> "[ _ **Forgive My Sins 💕🐾**_](https://archiveofourown.org/works/14954813?view_full_work=true)" 
> 
> "[ _ **Different Side Of Mine ⚜️**_](https://archiveofourown.org/works/17973893?view_full_work=true)" 
> 
> "[ _ **Masterpiece 🎨🚬**_](https://archiveofourown.org/works/20134327?view_full_work=true)" 
> 
> "[ _ **Serendipity**_](https://archiveofourown.org/works/25055575/chapters/60685399)"


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